No Vegetable Feed For Farmed Bluefinff

Research into using vegetable products as feed in the aquaculture industry is underway, but the local tuna industry will not feed farmed fish the diet at this stage.

The Australian vegetable industry is looking at research that would use vegetables to feed insects for the production of high protein fish food for use in aquaculture.

Australian Southern Bluefin Tuna Industry Association research manager David Ellis said vegetables could not supply the diet that southern bluefin tuna required.



“Tuna require a diet with specific protein and fat especially omega 3 fatty acids to satisfy their nutritional requirements and at this stage vegies can't supply these ingredients,” he said.

“I’m sure that in the future it maybe possible to replace some ingredients in artificial diets with vegies and cereals for aquaculture fish.”

AUSVEG spokesperson Kurt Hermann said feeding fish using vegetables could lead to a valuable revenue stream.

“This issue is no drop in the ocean, with approximately 25 per cent of vegetables produced in Australia going to waste at a cost to growers of around $155 million annually,” he said.

“Currently worth $1.2 billion annually, growth in Australian aquaculture is being restricted by its reliance on fish-meal to feed farmed fish.

“This meal is produced from low-value fish caught from wild populations, further depleting already dwindling wild fish numbers.

“Australian vegetable growers are producing more than 277,000 tons of excess product each year, which according to this new research can help to provide the local aquaculture industry with a much needed, sustainable food source.”

Mr. Hermann said with increasing demand for seafood, it was predicted Australian aquaculture would need to double its production by 2020 to meet increases in demand.

“This is exciting research with the potential to not only assist Australian aquaculture, but help secure the future of Australian vegetable growers by using vegetables that would otherwise go to waste,” he said.

“Improving efficiencies in such a manner will be essential for food security, as the global population heads towards a projected nine billion by 2050.”