Approximately one-fifth of all wild fish caught annually, equivalent to 16 million tons, is utilized in the production of fishmeal and fish oil, claims report.
A recent report by the British-Dutch environmental organization Feedback has criticized Norwegian farming practices, describing them as a form of “food colonialism.”
The report reveals that substantial quantities of food fish from economically disadvantaged countries are used as feed for Norwegian farmed salmon.
According to the report, approximately one-fifth of all wild fish caught annually, equivalent to 16 million tons, is utilized in the production of fishmeal and fish oil. Norwegian farmed fish consume 2.5 percent of the world’s total fish catch. In 2020, nearly two million tons of wild fish were used to produce fish oil for the Norwegian aquaculture industry.
The environmental organization is calling on Norwegian authorities to curtail the growth of the farming industry.
The issue is particularly pronounced along the West African coast, referred to as “Major Fishing Area 34.” Feedback claims that in 2020, several hundred thousand tons of wild fish caught in this region ended up as feed in Norwegian salmon pens.
The organization estimates that if this fish were not used for Norwegian salmon, it could meet the annual nutritional requirements of between 2.5 and 4 million people who rely on fish for sustenance.
Communications director Henrik Wiedswang Horjen at Sjømat Norge told Norwegian business paper DN that they believe fish should primarily be used as food for humans.
“Consumer preferences nevertheless mean that some types of fish are considered less suitable for human consumption,” said Horjen. “The development shows that less and less fishmeal and fish oil are used, and that the raw materials are socially sustainable.”
