Substituting Fishmeal and Fish by-Products (Internal Organs) for Imported Animal Protein

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of using different levels of dried carob powder combined with different proportions of dried fish offal (internal organs) as a substitute for animal protein in some growth parameters of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.). The experiment took place at the fish hatchery of the Livestock Department in Swera, Wasit, Iraq. Eight circular containers were used in the experiment, consisting of 4 treatments with 2 replicates for each treatment. A total of 200 fingerlings weighing 52 grams each were randomly distributed among the containers, and the experiment lasted for 70 days. The results showed that treatment T2 outperformed the other treatments in terms of growth parameters. The total weight gain of fish in T2 exceeded that of the other treatments, recording the highest overall weight gain rate. Additionally, T2 had the highest relative and specific growth rates, indicating the fish’s utilization of the feed supplemented with 25% carob powder and 16.7% fish offal as a substitute for animal protein. Based on the study, it can be concluded that carob powder and fish offal (internal organs) can be used as alternatives to animal protein in the diets of common carp, serving as a source of animal protein. This contributes to improving the feed and protein quality, as evidenced by improvements in some growth parameters.