1. Introduction
1.1. Using Captured Forage Fish in Commercial Aquafeeds
Fish is an important source of protein and
essential nutrients, and it can be produced through fish farming or caught in
the wild. Its nutritional and health-promoting qualities are increasingly
recognized, especially in low-income societies [1].
Fish is highly efficient in converting feed into high-quality food, providing
income and livelihoods for many communities worldwide. The contribution of
fisheries and aquaculture to food security and nutrition is influenced by
various factors, such as the environment, policy, economics, development, and
governance [2].
Forage fish captured from the ocean constitute
essential nutritious ingredients in commercial aquafeeds. These feeds enhance
fish growth by supplying proteins and fatty acids (e.g., [3]). Aquaculture, farming aquatic organisms, is the
single largest user of fishmeal, consuming over 60% of the global supply [4]. The reduction of small, bony fish to dried
protein, known as fishmeal and oil fractions (the "practice"), is a
well-established industry that has historically relied on stocks of captured
fish. These low-trophic-level species or forage fish, which are near the bottom
of the food chain, can have massive populations and support the largest fishery
in the world, with an annual catch between 20 and 30 million MT globally, of
which the Peruvian anchovy alone constitutes around 12 million MT of this catch
[5,6].
The protein and oil content of forage fish can be
used for various industrial applications, with the most economically
significant use being as ingredients for farmed animal feed, primarily fish
feed. The oil is also used for human health food supplements. The protein
content of these forage fish can have considerable nutritional benefits,
particularly for children and young women of reproductive age. Some forage fish
species in developing countries are more accessible and affordable than larger
fish and other animal-source foods and vegetables. These locally available forage
fish have considerable potential as cost-effective food-based strategies to
enhance micronutrient intakes and the nutrition of malnourished children [7]. However, using forage fish as a food resource
for feed or other uses reduces the quantity of fish available for human
consumption, which is a concern (reviewed in [8]).
1.2. Demand for Live Forage Fish
The average global per capita consumption of live
forage fish is less than 1 kg [9]. However,
this value is much higher in low-income countries with a forage fish capture
industry [10]. For example, in Peru, per
capita, total fresh fish consumption reports varied between 4.2 and 11.2 kg (of
which about a third were forage fish, from 2005 to 2011 [11].
About 22 million MT y-1 of forage fish
is globally captured, with an estimated base cost of US$2000 MT-1 [12]. Only 10-20% of this is used for direct human
consumption [13]. The average ex-vessel value
of forage fish for human consumption has been around US$1700 MT-1 in
recent years [14]. Including the retail margin
[15], a value of US$2000 MT-1 is
reasonable for the following calculations, even though prices vary depending on
time and location. Thus, the global catch's value is estimated at around US$44
billion [16].
The small amount of forage fish reaching low-income
fresh fish markets could result from the higher prices the aquafeed and canning
industries paid fishermen, even though it is not legally straightforward [5,17]. On the contrary, according to Tai et al. [14], prices for forage fish that go to the industry
were lower than those for direct human consumption. It could be that the sector
is well-organized, subsidized, and has better access to these fish [10,18]. Concerted governmental efforts to rectify
this situation in Peru have been ineffective [6].
Nevertheless, in other regions such as Central Africa [19], given the opportunity, the fresh fish market
demand could have absorbed double the quantity of that available to it at that
time. In Peru, the demand for forage fish could increase through proactive
governmental intervention, considering that forage fish used to be a staple
food there [20].
1.3. Socioeconomic Question
The heavy industrial fishing of forage fish has
numerous consequences, with one of the most significant being the potential for
poor nutrition in low-income communities in developing countries. When locally
caught forage fish are used for industrial purposes, they are often exported as
feed for high-value farmed species instead of being utilized for human
consumption in the area. The "practice" raises questions about
fairness and socioeconomic justice, particularly concerning its effect on the
local communities' economics and nutrition [21,22].
Commercial fishing conducted by large boats harms
the livelihoods of subsistence fisherfolk [7,23–29].
Additional studies describe qualitatively how the market price of forage fish
has increased, and low-income families' nutrition and food security have
deteriorated due to diverting a significant portion of these fish to other uses
[13,18,30,31] and others.
The "practice" competes with local
fishermen who supply local markets and endangers some piscivorous animals [3,11,23,32,33]. Reducing the capture of smaller
fish could increase the artisanal fleets' catch of larger piscivorous fish, as
evaluated below under mackerel as a representative of piscivorous fish. This,
in turn, could lead to higher revenues for fisherfolk and improve overall
ecosystem health [6,20,34–37]. As far as I
could find out, none of these studies has attempted to quantify this practice's
financial and consumption consequences for low-income fish consumers. This is
crucial information that should be available to policymakers and regulators.
This article aims to bridge this gap.
1.4. Ecosystem Impacts
Excessive fishing by large industrial boats harms
the environment. Fishing for forage fish at the maximum "sustainable
yield" level can interfere with the ecosystem's natural functioning [31]. This is especially true when such fish make up
a significant portion of the ecosystem's biomass or are highly connected to the
food web; these fish species are crucial for transferring production from
plankton to larger predatory fish, marine mammals, seabirds, and the fish
market [13,32].
1.5. Beneficiaries of the Fish-Based Aquafeeds
Fish growers and the aquafeed industry benefit the
most from captured forage fish [31].
Processors and retail markets receive a larger share of the benefits in the
value chain due to their more substantial bargaining power; small-scale
fisherfolk and fish farmers earn the least money for their efforts and products
[35], a situation that seems unjust because
these low-income individuals provide most of the forage fish to local markets
in developing countries through their involvement in fishing, fish processing,
and trading [2,35].
Reducing forage fish to fishmeal and oil has
primarily benefited the culture of high-value carnivorous and omnivorous
species intended for affluent societies. Salmonids (and shrimp) are at the
forefront of this process, followed by other fish such as seabream, grouper,
and tuna. Unlike them, the leading cultured fish- carp, tilapia, catfish,
mullet, and milkfish- do not require fish products in their aquafeeds. Until
recently, they were mostly fed "natural food"- organisms that develop
in "green water" bodies [38],
sometimes enriched with farm waste and even night soil [39].
Recently, some farmers who breed non-carnivorous
fish species (currently produced in large quantities of nearly 40 million MT in
2020 have started including small fractions of fish products in their fish
diets [8,9,39]. Although fish ingredients are
not essential, they help improve these fish's growth rate, intensifying the
farms and raising farmers' income. However, the cost of increased aquafeed and
environmental impacts sometimes reduces profits [33,40].
While it is true that using aquafeeds containing fish products for low trophic
level fish and shrimp increases the yield, it does not necessarily lead to
higher profits [41,42].
Due to the rapid growth of the aquaculture
industry, the smaller content of marine ingredients used in the feeds for
high-value fish species has not led to a decrease in the overall consumption of
fish products [8,39] because the increasing
demand for these feeds has offset the reduction in the percentage of fishmeal
and oil used in aquafeeds [43].
A significant portion of fish and crustacean
culture production indeed relies on commercial aquafeeds, which may require
large quantities of fish to be removed from the food market, with those
negative socioeconomic impacts as mentioned above [10,13,44–47].
Despite this concern, no studies have examined the financial and social
consequences of the "practice" on low-income families who rely on
fish as a food source. In my opinion, assessing the social cost of this
practice by quantifying the extent to which it burdens low-income families
financially and nutritionally could encourage further quantitative research on
the topic.
1.6. Feeding Fish with Fish (FIFO)
The capture of a large quantity of forage fish to
produce a smaller amount of high-value aquacultured fish has been the subject
of extensive research, debate, and controversy (e.g., [48]). Briefly, farmed carnivorous fish used to
consume more wild fish than they convert to their growth [35]. The use of fish products in aquafeeds has led
to a dispute over whether fish should be used as food or feed; to address this
issue, researchers have developed new aquafeeds that use alternative
ingredients [49]. The controversy of
"fish for feed vs fish for food" (e.g., [50]) has been discussed in various publications,
including those by Hecht & Jones [18],
Naylor et al. [51], Schindler et al. [52], and Hilborn et al. [53],
who have examined both economic and ecological factors. However, little
attention has been given to the nutritional and financial interests of
consumers who rely on fresh forage fish.
Addressing this gap requires numbers to support the
development of policies that promote the availability of fresh forage fish to
those who depend on them. One potential solution is to divert some of the
forage fish from industrial use back to local fish markets, which can benefit
low-income consumers. Another option is to leave the forage fish in the water
to support larger populations of larger fish, some of which can be captured by
local fisherfolk for sale at local markets [6,35].
1.7. Fish Supply, Prices, and Demand
The economic benefit of forage fish to humanity has
been estimated to be nearly US$20 billion y-1 for fresh fish and
fish for the industry [31]. It's well-known
that prices in this market are determined by the interplay of supply and demand
[54]. It is also evident that the impact of
reduced fish supply on local food fish prices and consumer purchasing patterns
is complex and varies geographically and temporally; thus, "why prices
change" is beyond the scope of this article [55].
Economists' evaluations of the impact of a change
in the quantity of a commodity on its market price use several mathematical
parameters of market elasticity [56–59].
However, the financial consequences of the "practice" haven't been
studied in detail by aquaculture economists [20].
1.8. Nutritional Considerations
Populations in developing countries often suffer
from poor nutrition. Forage fish caught locally contain a high concentration of
essential nutrients and can be used to alleviate nutritional deficiencies.
These fish are rich in micronutrients, including vitamin A, iron, calcium, and
zinc, concentrated in the bones, heads, and gut. Small forage fish are often
eaten whole, making them more nutritionally superior per purchased kg [6]). In contrast, larger fish are less nutritious,
with only about half their body weight being edible [60].
These fish should be affordable and attractive to the local populations to
provide their benefits. Alarmingly, most forage fish that reach the industry
for reduction to aquafeed ingredients are food grade but are not readily
available to the fresh fish markets [24].
Thus, despite the valid argument for supplying the local market with these
nutritious low-value fish, the fishmeal/fish oil industry purchases the catch
to use in the aquaculture of high-value fish (e.g., [61]).
The fish-based aquafeed industry argues that fresh
forage fish have low market demand due to the preference of local consumers for
larger fish; therefore, reducing prices would not necessarily lead to an
increase in their consumption [50]. In this
context, I would like to examine the validity of this claim.
Despite years of promotion and marketing by the
government and independent activists, the consumption of anchovy in Peru
remains low [20,35] but is on an upward curve [62]. As a result, the market has a significant
surplus of anchovy. It has been suggested that low demand is only one aspect of
the story. It could be an oversimplification that ignores alternative
explanations and impacts. Low demand for anchovy in the Peruvian and other
markets could be attributed to the poor quality of the fish resulting from
inadequate storage and sanitary conditions in the unrefrigerated boats that
supply the local markets; this compounds the fragility of anchovy, which
therefore tends to deteriorate quickly and develop an unpleasant taste if not
stored and transported properly to the food market; furthermore, Peru's fishery
has other widespread species such as mackerel, horse mackerel, and bonito,
which are more affordable, versatile, and palatable from a culinary point of
view; Peruvian households prefer these species over anchovy [5,9,35].
According to other reports, forage fish are
nutritious, tasty, and easily accessible year-round, particularly close to the
coast. The main reason why a large proportion of them end up being used in the
reduction industry is not due to their lack of value as food but rather other
factors. Nonetheless, I'd like to note that anchovies have historically been a
crucial source of protein for Peru and have played a significant role in
ensuring food security since ancient Andean civilizations [6,20].
In support of this view, according to some reports,
the current price of anchovy for human consumption in Peru and other countries
is higher than the landing price paid by the industry [14]. The implication is that with organized and
proactive attention, human consumption can be increased, and the nutrition of
people with low incomes can be improved. Reports suggest that the market demand
and the price consumers are willing to pay for forage fish rise when they reach
the market in good condition and are presented in an appealing form [5,6,63]. This situation can be compared to some
African countries where local communities have a solid household market and can
readily consume twice the captured forage fish available to them; however, they
are deprived of it when the fish is sent to the industry or exported [19].
The present article aims to estimate the impact of
the fishing industry's use of large quantities of forage fish on their consumption
and prices in the fresh fish markets. Specifically, we want to know if the
"practice" significantly affects the budgets of low-income consumers
who rely on forage fish for nutrition and how it impacts their disposable
income and fish consumption at a national and family level. Additionally, we
want to evaluate if this has any global implications and if it can be justified
given its potential impact on the nutrition of low-income families.
2. Materials and Methods
Obtaining precise numbers for the impact of market
volume on the value of forage fish in third-world countries is complex, and
even if available, the numbers are only relevant to the specific time and place
of measurement [9,62]. Similarly, getting
exact price responses to changing fish supply is challenging and can vary with
time. Besides, data for every year are not readily available [64,65]. However, the purpose here is to estimate
the order of magnitude of the impact of the "practice" on the price
range for the total catch and for a hypothetical family that consumes 12 kg of
fresh forage fish annually. Notably, the per capita forage fish consumption in
third-world countries with developed fisheries has been estimated at
approximately 2.4 kg y-1 [11].
According to Lem et al. [59],
a 10% change in fish price results in a 4-5% change in supply, while in
Cornelsen et al. [66], a 10% price change
leads to an 8% change in demand. Hecht [19]
and Hecht and Jones [18] provided a detailed
case of fresh fish market supply and prices. They reported that in 16 African
countries in 2004, the average price of forage fish increased from US$2 to 2.43
kg-1 due to spoilage of a quarter of the 2.8 million MT catch. If
this quantity had remained in the market, the fish price would have decreased
by about 21%. This means that a 25% weight change in supply leads to a 21%
price change, like other published values [64].
For the convenience of the calculations below, a 21% price change due to a 25%
change in supply will be used unless better numbers are available. These
numbers cannot be precise, but they give an idea of the order of magnitude of
the processes. Of course, if the addition is 30%, the impact is higher, and
vice versa.