Use an alternative protein source: animal

Overall effectiveness category Awaiting assessment
Number of studies: 2
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Study locations

Key messages

One controlled, replicated study in Canada found no difference in oxygen consumption or swimming speed of Atlantic salmon that were fed diets containing anchovy oil or alternative lipid sources.
One controlled, randomised, replicated study from Scotland showed that fish fed a fishmeal diet weighed more than fish fed diets with alternative proteins.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A controlled, replicated study in British Columbia, Canada (Wilson et al., 2007) found no differences in oxygen consumption or swimming speed of Atlantic salmon that were fed diets with different dietary lipid sources. There were similar swimming speeds (0.69- 0.76 m s^-1) and oxygen consumptions (MO₂max 7.31± 0.24 mg O₂ kg⁻¹ min⁻¹) for the five dietary treatments. Five experimental diets containing 45% protein and 26% lipid) were each fed to 150 Atlantic salmon (across three tanks) for 24 weeks. The control diet contained 100% anchovy oil and in three diets 75% of the anchovy oil was replaced by poultry fat, cold pressed flaxseed oil, or crude super de-gummed canola oil. The fifth diet contained a 1:1 blend of anchovy oil and poultry fat and the protein component was a 1:1 blend of fishmeal and poultry by-product meal. After 24 weeks on the experimental diets, ten fish of similar weight from each trial were tested by measuring oxygen consumption rates, prolonged swimming performance, and recovery from exhaustive exercise in a closed circuit respirometer over a seven week period.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Wilson C.M., Friesen E.N., Higgs D.A. & Farrell A.P. (2007) The effect of dietary lipid and protein source on the swimming performance, recovery ability and oxygen consumption of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Aquaculture, 273, 687-699.
Between 2007 and 2008, a controlled, randomised, replicated trial in Scotland (Pratoomyot et al., 2011) found that Atlantic salmon fed alternative protein to fishmeal had lower final weights than fish fed a fishmeal diet. The final weight of the groups fed fishmeal diets was 3.8kg compared to between 3.4 and 3.6kg in fish fed alternative protein diets. Five diets were formulated to satisfy the nutritional requirements of salmonid fish; the four experimental diets contained 11% fishmeal and 55% of either wheat gluten, pea protein, blood meal or kidney bean. A control diet containing 25% fish meal was also given to one group. Two thousand two hundred and fifty Atlantic salmon were fed the experimental diets by automatic feeders for nineteen weeks.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Pratoomyot J., Bendiksen E.Å, Campbell P.J., Jauncey K.J., Bell J.G. & Tocher D.R. (2011) Effects of different blends of protein sources as alternatives to dietary fishmeal on growth performance and body lipid composition of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.). Aquaculture, 316, 44-52.

Please cite as:

Jones, A.C., Mead, A., Austen, M.C.V. & Kaiser, M.J. (2013) Aquaculture: Evidence for the effects of interventions to enhance the sustainability of aquaculture using Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) as a case study. Bangor University

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

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This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Sustainable Aquaculture

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Reduce fish meal in diet Action Link	Awaiting assessment	2	Synopsis Link