Shipowners\' increasing tendency to equip their vessels with refrigeration capacity is allowing more pelagic fish trimmings to used in fishmeal, the trade group IFFO said. 

Utilization rates of trimmings have crept up to about 33% from about 25% a decade ago and will continue to rise as companies renew their fleets, Neil Auchterlonie, the technical director for the London-based IFFO, which represents the marine ingredients sector, told Undercurrent News.

“We do know that in Alaska and Iceland there are vessels that have small fishmeal plants on the vessel; that’s starting to happen,” Auchterlonie said. “That’s starting to improve over time, and the increase over time as well is partly driven by the fact that for these pelagic species, direct human consumption of products will continue.” 

Growing demand for protein and omega-3 oils means that the traditional fishing industry can co-exist with producers of alternative proteins derived from gas and insects, and a number of companies that are working on cultivating new sources of omega-3 from algae, Auchterlonie said.

The use of trimmings, and improved sustainable fishing practices around the world, means that the pelagic industry will continue to be “strategic ingredients” in the future, he said.

Source: Undercurrent News // Original Article