Despite the significant decline in fishmeal and fish oil supplies expected this year from
"I would believe we're going to see a very large increase in aquaculture feed [over the next few years]," Aiden Connolly, vice president of Alltech, told listeners during the company's 2013 Global Feed Survey results webinar early Monday morning.
The company, which provides feed production information to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), is also predicting a dramatic increase in aquaculture production in the near future, Connolly said.
Feed for aquaculture currently makes up 5 percent of global feed production, but Connolly "wouldn't be surprised if it grew to 8 to 10 percent of the world market in the near future."
Regulations are increasing in regards to contaminants, which has put a slow on some of the world's feed production, but aquaculture may be less affected than beef or poultry due to demand.
"Obviously, we have a very dramatic situation wherewe cannot continue to fish the amount of fish out of the sea that we have in the past,” Connolly said. “People want to eat more fish because, just like chicken, it is perceived [as] very healthy."
The results of Alltech's survey show a whopping 44,793 million metric tons global fish feed production level last year – a 55 percent increase over the prior year. Some of the increase comes from more companies being included in the survey this year, but most reflects a widespread production increase trend, Connolly said.
The near 45 million metric ton production level may come as a surprise to the industry, International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organization (IFFO) Technical Director Andrew Jackson told IntraFish.
“It's a big number, and I think a lot of people don't know just how big that number is,”
Like Alltech, the IFFO expects that number to continue to rise. It is expecting gains of about 7 to 8 percent this year and perhaps as high as ten percent,
Achieving growth in a supply-strapped industry
How will feed producers manage to increase fish feed production while fishmeal and oil – two of the most important ingredients in salmon and shrimp feed – decrease?
The answer is that for one, fishmeal and oil are becoming less important ingredients as feed producers find more and more viable protein substitutes.
“Fishmeal has traditionally represented a very verylarge percentage of the diets of fish, and that isnot going to continue,” Connolly told IntraFishduring the webinar's question and answer period. “Most of the companies we work with in the feed milling area have already started to address that. Many of them are at 10 to 15 percent of fishmeal today, and many are looking to eliminate it completely.
Connolly expects global aquaculture feed productionto surpass the 50 million metric ton mark in the next few years, which would be a big milestone, both statistically and psychologically speaking, for the industry, Connolly said
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Environment has instructed localities to base their stocking schedules on actual conditions in each farming area, while developing plans, allocating resources, and implementing synchronized measures for disease prevention and disaster risk management in aquaculture production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cakes and surimi exceeded USD 45 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025, indicating a positive outlook for this product segment amid recovering demand in many markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) During the week from April 4th to 10th, 2026, Quang Ngai province intensified its monitoring and law enforcement activities with the determination to eliminate illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Thanh Hoa’s shrimp sector is undergoing a strong transformation by accelerating the adoption of high technology, helping to improve productivity, increase profits, and meet market demands. The province currently has about 4,100 hectares of shrimp farming, with output continuing to rise despite stable farming area, mainly due to the shift from traditional methods to intensive and super-intensive farming.
(vasep.com.vn) Amid ongoing volatility in global seafood trade, Vietnam’s crab exports have made a fairly positive start to 2026. According to Vietnam Customs statistics, export turnover in the first two months of 2026 reached nearly USD 55 million, up 24% compared to the same period in 2025 and more than 2.2 times higher than in the same period of 2024. This indicates that crab exports are entering 2026 with stronger growth momentum, particularly in Asian markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Da Nang City has fully implemented all recommendations from the European Commission (EC) regarding the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, creating an important foundation for the removal of the “yellow card” in the near future.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Hoa Vang district (Da Nang City), red tilapia farming is demonstrating clear economic efficiency, becoming a promising livelihood that helps many households increase their income. A notable example is the model of Mr. Huynh Ngoc Nam, who operates two red tilapia ponds covering more than 4 hectares, generating stable annual income.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Gia Vien district, tilapia farming—particularly the “duong nghiep” strain—is expanding rapidly and gradually becoming an efficient production model for local farmers. Hatcheries in the area are supplying high-quality, uniform, and disease-free fingerlings, meeting the growing demand for commercial farming.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On the afternoon of March 19, Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee, Le Van Su, chaired a meeting to address bottlenecks and propose solutions to expand the super-intensive whiteleg shrimp farming model using low water exchange and high biosecurity standards (RAS-IMTA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On March 10, 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee issued Decision No. 1377/QD-UBND approving the Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control Plan for the 2026–2030 period. The decision takes effect from the date of signing and replaces previous plans for the 2021–2030 period that had been issued prior to the administrative merger in Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Binh Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City.
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