Potential of unused marine sources of feed protein and lipids. Part 1

The article examines the potential for increasing the harvest of underutilized aquatic biological resources (ABR), including zooplankton and mesopelagic fish, for the production of marine- derived feed ingredients such as fishmeal and fish oil for use in aquaculture and livestock pro-duction. Despite the substantial biomass of these currently unexploited ABR, the prospects for expanding their catch volumes remain constrained by several factors: (i) limited knowledge of their spatiotemporal distribution; (ii) low daily catch volumes and short fishing seasons, which, in combination with current product price levels, render investments economically unviable; (iii) the absence of specialized fishing methods and gear; (iv) overlap with the fishing periods of commercially valuable species; (v) specific features of their biochemical composition that complicate processing; (vi) and the high capital investment required to establish economically sustainable harvesting operations. Based on a comprehensive analysis of these constraints, the study concludes that a significant increase in the utilization of underexploited ABR for the production of marine feed ingredients is unlikely in the near term.