Business · Energy & Commodities · 11 hrs ago
European salmon farms turn to feed made from chicken byproducts
Some major European salmon farms are turning to chicken byproducts as feed for their fish.
Norway’s Leroy Seafood already uses it at all its offshore farms, while Mowi plans to introduce it in Scotland and Norway; SalMar is testing it at some farms.
The change is driven by rising costs: traditional fishmeal has nearly doubled in price over two years, while poultry-based feed costs about half as much per tonne.
Rules once barred poultry feed for fish over disease concerns, but restrictions were relaxed after evidence found no risk of spreading mad cow disease from chicken.
Experts say the feed is safe, though some consumers see it as unnatural and may object to the idea.
Feed ingredients do not have to be listed for shoppers, so people may not know whether their salmon was raised on fishmeal or chicken byproducts.
Chicken-fed salmon could reach UK shops, as more producers adopt the feed, but supermarkets have different policies.
Some major European salmon producers are using or testing feed made from chicken byproducts.
Lerøy Seafood Group says it uses poultry-based feed at all its offshore farms, while Mowi plans to introduce it in Scotland and Norway.
SalMar said it began testing chicken-based feed at some farms in March.
Fishmeal has almost doubled in price over two years, while poultry products cost about half as much per tonne.
Experts cited by the Daily Mail say the feed is safe, but consumer research found strong scepticism about chicken-fed salmon.
- Who
- European salmon producers, including Lerøy, Mowi and SalMar.
- What
- Some are using or testing salmon feed made from poultry byproducts.
- When
- Lerøy has introduced the feed; SalMar said it began testing it in March. The sources do not state the year for that March.
- Where
- At salmon farms in Europe, including offshore farms and farms in Scotland and Norway.
- Why
- Fishmeal has almost doubled in price over two years, and poultry-based feed costs about half as much per tonne.
Salmon producers and feed experts
Sceptical consumers
Feed and safety
Salmon producers and feed experts
Professor Margareth Øverland says chicken byproducts are safe and are high-quality protein sources.
Sceptical consumers
Nofima researcher Florent Govaerts says chicken is met with strong scepticism and associated with something unnatural and disgusting.
Reason for using or opposing the feed
Salmon producers and feed experts
Producers are turning to poultry feed as traditional fishmeal becomes more expensive and limited.
Sceptical consumers
Consumers may object to salmon being raised on chicken byproducts, and may not know what feed was used.
Feeding salmon poultry-based products was illegal under restrictions intended to halt the spread of diseases such as BSE.
Poultry-based feed became permissible as new evidence indicated it carried no risk of spreading BSE.
SalMar said it had started testing chicken-based feed at some farms.
Lerøy has introduced poultry-based feed at all its offshore farms, and Mowi says it plans to introduce it at farms in Scotland and Norway.
- Lerøy
- Uses poultry-based feed at all its offshore farms
- Mowi
- Plans to introduce poultry feed at farms in Scotland and Norway
- SalMar
- Began testing chicken-based feed at some farms in March
- Fishmeal price
- Almost doubled over two years
- Poultry feed price
- About half the price per tonne of fishmeal
4 sources
Grote zalmkwekerijen gaan overstag en voeren de vissen restvlees van kippen: ‘Een zeer gevoelige kwestie’
Would YOU eat chicken-fed salmon? Fish raised on poultry bones and brains could soon be sold in British supermarkets - but sceptics call the idea 'unnatural and disgusting'
Lachs: Zuchtlachs wird wohl zunehmend mit Hühnchen gefüttert
Salmon producers start feeding chicken to fish
What people are saying
It is safe to feed salmon on chicken by-products.
Due to increasing conflicts around the world, large climate changes and a super El Niño, traditional feed resources like fish meal and fish oil are now limited. Thus, the aquaculture industry is looking for alternatives.
chicken is met with strong scepticism and is associated with something unnatural and disgusting