Reviews in Fisheries Science, 17(3):305–317, 2009 Copyright C Taylor and Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 1064-1262 print DOI: 10.1080/10641260802677074 Fishing for Aquaculture: Non-Food Use of Small Pelagic Forage Fish—A Global Perspective ALBERT G. J. TACON1 and MARC METIAN2 1The University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain 2Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii, USA About 33.29 million tonnes or 36.2% of the total world fisheries catch was destined for non-food uses in 2006, either targeted for reduction into dry meal (fish meal) and oil (fish oil) for use within industrially compounded animal feeds, or used directly as animal feed in fresh, frozen, or wet processed form. However, whereas the proportion of non-food landings destined for reduction has been relatively constant since 1970 (mean ± SD: 23.17 ± 3.74 million tonnes), “other” non-food use landings have risen markedly from 0.90 million tonnes in 1970 (3.7% total non-food use landings) to 13.14 million tonnes in 2006 or 39.5% total non-food use landings. At present, small pelagic forage fish species, including “low-value/trash fish,” form the bulk of the fisheries catch destined for non-food uses, with the aquaculture sector currently being the largest consumer. In 2006, it is estimated that the aquaculture sector consumed an estimated 23.8 million tonnes of small pelagic forage fish in the form of feed inputs, including 3.72 million tonnes used to make fish meal, 0.83 million tonnes to make fish oil used in compounded aquafeeds, and an additional 7.2 million tonnes of low value/trash fish as a direct feed or within farm-made aquafeeds. Keywords fisheries, aquaculture, fishmeal, fish oil, trash fish, aquafeeds OVER-FISHING AND DISPOSITION OF THE overexploited (or depleted and recovering from depletion; Fig- FISHERIES CATCH ure 1), reinforcing earlier observations that the maximum wild Downloaded By: [Tacon, Albert G. J.] At: 03:44 29 March 2009 capture fisheries potential from the world’s oceans has probably Fishing has been practiced since mankind first started hunt- been reached and calls for a more cautious and closely con- ing and searching for food. From its humble beginnings as a trolled development and management of world fisheries (FAO, subsistence-based food fish hunting and gathering activity, fish- 2007). ing has grown into a multibillion dollar industry, with total cap- Global trends in over-fishing have been fueled to a large ex- ture fisheries’ landings of fish and shellfish in 2006 reported at tent by market demands within economically developed coun- 92.0 million tonnes (FAO, 2008a) and valued at over US $91.24 tries for the consumption and importation of high market value billion in 2006 (FAO, 2008b). However, rising global population carnivorous finfish and crustacean species (Alder and Sumaila, and increasing market demand for fish has resulted in increasing 2005; Montaigne, 2007; Rosenthal, 2008), with developed coun- fishing pressure and consequent over-fishing in many parts of tries importing 80% of total internationally traded fisheries the world. According to the latest FAO assessments concerning products in 2006 valued at US $72.6 billion (FAO, 2008a). the health and exploitation of known capture fishery resources, At present, over 76.9% of total finfish landings from capture more than 75% of the world fish stocks for which assessment in- fisheries are species positioned high in the aquatic food chain, formation is available are reported as already fully exploited or with a mean trophic level of 3 and above (Figure 2). In fact, it has been reported by several authors that over-fishing of large- sized high-value carnivorous finfish species has resulted in fish Address correspondence to Dr. Albert G. J. Tacon, Visiting Professor, the species being targeted lower on the aquatic food chain by fish- University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Las Palmas de Gran eries (Caddy and Garibaldi, 2000; Hannesson, 2002; Pauly et al., Canaria, 35001, Spain. E-mail: [email protected] 1998). 305 306 A. G. J. TACON AND M. METIAN Figure 1 Global trends in the state of fish stocks since 1974 (FAO, 2007). Notwithstanding the above, about 33.29 million tonnes or year (FAO, 2008a). For the purposes of this article, “other” 36.2% of the total landed fisheries catch was destined for non- non-food use landings include fresh, frozen, or wet-processed food uses in 2006, either targeted for reduction into dry meal fish used for direct animal feeding (including farmed fish and (fish meal) and oil (fish oil), or used directly for animal feeding crustaceans), for use within canned semi-moist pet foods or used (Figure 3). Although the proportion of the total fisheries catch as fish bait. destined for non-food uses has remained relatively constant over For comparative purposes, the growth of the aquaculture sec- the past 35 years (fluctuating from 39.0% of the total catch in tor (an important user of non-food landed fish products as feed 1970 to 36.2% of the total catch in 2006), total reported non-food inputs) and reported landings of small pelagic forage fish, which fish landings have increased in real terms by 8.79 million tonnes constitute the bulk of fish usually targeted for non-food uses or 35.9%, from 24.5 million tonnes in 1970 to 33.29 million (Alder and Pauly, 2006) are also shown in Figure 3. Of particu- tonnes in 2006 (FAO, 2008a, 2008b). Moreover, although the lar note is the strong correlation between the reported non-food proportion of non-food landings destined for reduction has been use trend lines with that of the estimated small pelagic forage relatively constant in global terms over this period (mean ± SD: fish landings over the same period (total landings estimated at 23.17 ± 3.74 million tonnes), “other” non-food use landings 27.26 million tonnes in 2006; FAO, 2008a). have risen markedly over this period, from 0.90 million tonnes For the purposes of this article, small pelagic forage fish in- in 1970 (3.7% total non-food use landings) to 13.14 million cludes those usually lower trophic level finfish species, which, tonnes in 2006 or 39.5% total non-food use landings for that because of their size and position in the upper layers of the water Downloaded By: [Tacon, Albert G. J.] At: 03:44 29 March 2009 Figure 2 Global trends in weighted mean trophic level of capture fisheries’ landings by major trophic grouping (excludes mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and other miscellaneous invertebrates). Trophic levels of individual species taken from FishBase (Froese and Pauly, 2008), where mean trophic level range (TL): aquatic plants: 1; molluscs: 2.0–4.1; crustaceans: 2.2–3.4; finfish: 2.0–2.99 (top 10 by landings in 2006) Peruvian and Japanese anchovy, European and Californian pilchard, Sardinellas nei, Araucanian herring, Gulf menhaden, Tilapia nei, Cyprinids nei, Indian oil sardine; finfish: 3.0–3.99–marine and freshwater fishes nei, Alaska pollock, Atlantic herring, chub mackerel, Chilean jack mackerel, Scads nei, croakers and drums nei, European sprat, threadfin breams nei, Atlantic mackerel; finfish: 4.0–4.99–skipjack tuna, blue whiting, largehead hairtail, yellowfin tuna, Atlantic cod, saithe, daggertooth pike conger, bigeye tuna, Argentine hake, North Pacific hake (FAO, 2008a). reviews in fisheries science vol. 17 3 2009 NON–FOOD USE OF SMALL PELAGIC FORAGE FISH 307 Figure 3 Total landings from capture fisheries and aquaculture, reported proportion of fish catch destined for non-food uses, and total landings of small pelagic forage fish species (capture fisheries and aquaculture production values exclude aquatic plants and mammals; FAO, 2008a, 2008b). column, usually serve as prey for higher trophic level animals be processed industrially for reduction into fish meal and fish to forage on, including larger piscivorous finfish, seabirds, and oil (http://www.fao.org/fishery/species/3021). marine mammals. Also included within the forage fish grouping The order Clupeiformes represents the bulk of total small are sandeels (= sandlances: Ammodytes sp.), which, although pelagic forage fish landings (19.76 million tonnes or 72.5% demersal in habit, aggregate in large schools and are targeted of total small pelagic forage fish landings in 2006) and in- for reduction in Europe (Masuda et al., 1984). As mentioned cludes anchovies, herring, pilchards, sardinellas, sprat, sardines, previously, in contrast to targeted food-fish species landings, menhaden, shad, ilisha, and dagaas (FAO, 2008a). Other ma- small pelagic forage fish species are usually (with a few ex- jor forage fish include species from the order Scombroidei ceptions) positioned lower on the aquatic food chain, with a (3.83 million tonnes or 14.0% total forage fish landings in weighted mean annual trophic level ranging between 2.80 and 2006, including chub mackerel, Atlantic mackerel, Indian mack- 3.0 (Figure 4). Gadiformes (cods) and, specifically, blue whit- erels nei, short mackerel, Indian mackerel, narrow-barred Span- ing, hakes, and grenadiers have been excluded from the listing ish mackerel), Percoidei (2.39 million tonnes or 8.8%, includ- of small pelagic forage fish species, as they are primarily fished ing Chilean jack mackerel, Japanese jack mackerel, Atlantic for human consumption (Cohen et al., 1990). Notwithstanding horse mackerel), Trachinoidei (605,612 tonnes or 2.2%, includ- the above, it is often claimed that it is because of the poor ing Pacific sandlance and sandeels nei), Beloniformes (396,175 flesh-keeping qualities of small “oily” pelagic forage fish and tonnes or 1.5%, including Pacific saury and Atlantic saury) and certain demersal species such as blue whiting that they have to Salmoniformes (278,289 tonnes or 1.0%, including capelin).