The growing role of trimmings and their origins in global fishmeal production and trade

Abstract Fishmeal (FM) remains a key ingredient in aquaculture feeds, with approximately 87% of FM produced used for aquaculture. While traditionally produced from whole forage fish, FM is also derived from fish processing by-products, or ‘trimmings’. Yet there is a lack of comprehensive data on the amount of trimmings in feed, and the taxonomic composition, geographic origins, and trade patterns of trimmings-derived FM, hindering sustainability assessments and policy development. Here, we use the Aquatic Resource Trade in Species (ARTIS) database combined with a literature review to examine global FM trade from 1996 to 2020, with particular focus on estimating the volume and origins of FM derived from trimmings. When focusing only on finfish-derived meal, our results align with industry statistics, which indicate that more FM is produced from whole fish than from trimmings. However, when including all taxonomic origins, like shrimp meal, we find a majority of FM derived from trimmings rather than whole fish. Furthermore, we find that trimmings-derived FM production is a major component of FM production across Europe and Asia. Our results indicate substantial untapped potential for expanding the use of trimmings to better support growing aquaculture demand. The enhanced transparency in FM sourcing demonstrated here can support industry accountability, inform policy, and guide future efforts towards better marine resource use.