We remove fish faster than they can repopulate, and the oceans are running out of fish.
Although many of the fish we eat now come from fish farms, smaller fish found in oceans provide the food for farmed fish. The supplies of smaller “forage fish,” such as sardines and anchovies, are extremely limited. In order for farmed fish to grow quickly, they need a balanced source of nutrition.
For three decades, fish nutritionists have searched for alternative food sources, such as algae and other plants.
A California company called Two X Sea might have developed a solution—they created the first vegetarian fish food for commercial use in the U.S.
USDA Fish Nutritionist Rick Barrows says, “I don’t think we are turning carnivorous fish into herbivores. We are taking soybeans and corn and algae and turning it into meat. We aren’t changing the animal, we are changing what they consume.”
There is one major drawback: plant-based feed is approximately twice as expensive as traditional fish feed; however, if wild fish populations continue to decline, then going vegetarian might be the only option.
Some San Francisco chefs are currently testing the taste of vegetarian fish.
Chef Laurence Jossel says the fish from Two X Sea taste just like wild fish, and Jossel forsees vegetarian fish food to be the future of sustainable fishery.
Watch the video below for more information on this innovative solution to depleted ocean supplies.
Is this a viable solution? Comment below or tweet @MNetBridget
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