Use of insects in feeding of fish (review)

Abstract

Aquaculture is the fastest growing sector of the global food industry, signaling a paradigm shift in how we meet the growing demand for fish. The current aquaculture production system relies heavily on fishmeal, which is becoming increasingly unsustainable due to stagnant or declining fish catches, especially wild marine fish stocks. A significant percentage of fish stocks are already almost completely used. This situation, combined with the increasing demand for fish, suggests that fishmeal will become a more limiting ingredient, both from a production and price perspective. In response to these pressing issues, there has been a notable surge in research to explore potential alternatives, such as insect meal, which is one of the critical means to ensure the sustainability of aquaculture and overcome the limitations of fishmeal. Insects hold significant promise in the field of animal nutrition, and further research is needed to fully understand their nutritional value in the context of animal feed applications. Insect farming can be effectively done on human by-products or waste, allowing them to convert this rich, cheap organic waste into protein-rich animal biomass suitable for animal consumption. Analytical review found that insect meal has sufficient nutrient composition suitable for potential inclusion in fish feed as a versatile protein source to create individual nutrient profiles. It is worth noting that a wide range of insect species, their various habitats, developmental stages, feeding behavior and other characteristics can affect the nutritional value of insect meal. This diversity makes insect meal an attractive target for further research as an alternative to fish meal.