Aquaculture Is Using Far More Wild Fish as Feed Than Previously Estimated

MOTHER JONES • October 24, 2024

The fish farming sector is often touted as a sustainable way to rapidly scale up the production of crucial fish protein sources without pulling them directly from wild habitats. But there’s a catch. Some of the main ingredients that farmers feed their fish are, ironically, wild-caught fish. And a new study suggests that the aquaculture industry uses far more wild fish than previously estimated, which a group of scientists and conservationists say is fueling environmental degradation. However, the global demand for fish is expected to skyrocket in the coming decades.