VPP 322: Aquatic Animal Diseases, Health Care and Management (1+1)

UTILIZATION OF FISH IN ANIMAL FEED

• Fishmeal is a nutrient-rich feed ingredient used primarily in diets for domestic animals and sometimes used as a high-quality organic fertilizer. Fish meal is a high protein supplement made by either cooking, pressing, drying and grinding of fish or fish waste to which no other matter has been added. It is a solid product from which most of the water is removed and some or all of the oil is removed. Fishmeal can be made from almost any type of seafood but is generally manufactured from wild-caught, small marine fish that contain a high percentage of bones and oil, and is usually deemed not suitable for direct human consumption. Other sources of fishmeal is from by-products of trimmings made during processing (fish waste or offal) of various seafood products destined for direct human consumption. High-quality Fishmeal normally contains between 60% and 72% crude protein by weight. Typical diets for fish may contain from 32% to 45% total protein by weight. Fishmeal also contains valuable phospholipids, fat-soluble vitamins, and steroid hormones.