Dry Fish Research Articles

ANALISIS KELAYAKAN USAHA IKAN ASIN SEPAT KERING (Tricoghaster, sp) DI KABUPATEN BANJAR KALIMANTAN SELATAN

The aim of the research was to find out the technical processing of dry salted sepat siam fish, to find out the costs, benefits, and feasibility obtained by entrepreneurs processing dried salted sepat siam fish, and to find out the problems faced. This research was conducted in Tambak Baru Village, Banjar District, Banjar District, South Kalimantan Province, namely in March 2023. The location for the research was determined based on the consideration that Tambak Baru Village, Banjar District, is a salted sepat fish processing center in Banjar Regency. This sampling method uses the Census method, namely sampling all salted fish processing entrepreneurs through surveys and direct interviews, the number of salted fish processing entrepreneurs in Tambak Baru Village, Banjar District, is 5 people. Technically, the dried salted fish business has been running with a production capacity of 134 kg at a price of IDR 65,000/kg. The biggest variable cost is the cost of raw materials with an average of Rp. 2,475,000/farmer Meanwhile, the fixed cost of the salted fish processing business is the equipment depreciation cost of Rp. 17,134/farmer. The average income is Rp. 8,710,000/farmer While the average profit of dried salted fish processing business is Rp. 4,417,866/farmer. The RCR value of the dried salted fish processing business was obtained at 2.029, which means every Rp. 1 invested in the dried salted fish processing business will generate Rp. 2,029 which means the business of processing dried salted fish is feasible

Gendered dimensions of social wellbeing within dried fish value chains: insights from Sri Lanka

How small-scale fishers participate in and benefit from land-based fish drying and processing activities is rarely documented and poorly understood. This paper aims to address this gap by bringing attention to dried fish value chains (DFVC), which comprise activities from fish harvesting to drying/processing and trading. We draw on value chain and social wellbeing literatures and adopt a case study approach to examine urban coastal and rural inland DFVCs in Sri Lanka. Our results emphasize the nuanced and unique ways in which people derive material, relational, and subjective wellbeing through their participation in DFVCs and the differences between the experiences of women and men. We argue that DFVCs are of disproportionate importance to the wellbeing of marginalized people in fishing communities, particularly women. We also examine the capacity of DFVCs to continue supporting the wellbeing of those who critically depend upon them and highlight the implications of emergent study findings for fisheries governance in Sri Lanka.

Technological transformation and changing social relations in the ring seine fishery of Kerala, India.

Across the Global South, commercial development and technological innovations are transforming fish food systems in ways that significantly impact the livelihoods of small-scale producers and the food security of the poor. A crucial but understudied aspect of such transformations is the social relations in which fish food systems are embedded. Food system transformations change power relations and rework gendered economic roles and divisions of labour in ways that often marginalise women and other vulnerable groups. In this paper, we draw on feminist studies of gender and technology and feminist commodity chain analysis to investigate the impact of technological transformation on social relations in the ring seine fishery of Kerala, India. Kerala's ring seine fishery specifically targets small pelagics like sardine, mackerel, and anchovies, which have been identified as important to the food security and nutrition of the poor. Since the mid-1980s, when the ring seine was first introduced to enable small-scale fishers to compete with mechanised trawlers, these fishing units have expanded both in terms of numbers and in size, largely as a result of locally-driven technological innovation and adaptation. Though traditional arrangements of labour deployment and wage sharing have remained, rising competition and differentiation between fishermen have ensued. At the same time, changes in processing, distribution, and trade have reworked women's economic roles and position in the fishery, and questions about long-term profitability and sustainability have necessitated interventions in governance at various levels. Tracing the trajectory of technological innovation and changing social relations through the value chain, we assessed the gendered implications of fish food system transformations for livelihoods. We found that the increase in dimensions of the new gear increased both investments and operational costs of the fishing units rendering several of them uneconomical. Time-tested social norms have also changed as competition increased, which is much more pronounced between the smaller and larger fishing vessels. The traditional wage sharing pattern still remains ensuring income security for fishermen who cannot find work as crew on these fishing vessels. Women, however, have been most affected by the changes as they no longer are able to access the fish resource as earlier for engaging in post-harvest activities, such as marketing and fish drying.

Implementation of Lumi-lumi (Harpodon nehereus) Fish Fillet Processing Methods as Salted Fish to Short Drying Time

The downstream fishing industry in the form of fish processing has great potential to improve community welfare. In addition to providing added value to fishery products, fish processing is one solution if there is an overproduction of fishery catches. Salted fish processing producers at MSMEs Jaya Salted Fish in Langkak Village, Kuala Pesisir District, Nagan Raya Regency are currently continuing to improve production efficiency for production optimization. There are technical limitations in terms of production efficiency by partners so that counseling and training on improving production efficiency are needed. The methods used in this service are counseling and training. This activity was carried out at the MSME Jaya Ikan Asin unit in Langkak Village, District. Kuala Pesisir Nagan Raya Regency on October 1-2, 2022. This activity began with the manufacture of fishery products in the form of Bombay Duck salted fish. In this activity, there are several stages of activities, namely surveys, salted fish processing processes, and salted fish drying. This activity is carried out well so that it can increase the number of types of Bombay Duck salted fish production in MSMEs jaya salted fish

Clostridioides difficile in food and food products of animal origin in Assam, India

ObjectiveConsidering the paucity of information about food-associated Clostridioides difficile from India, a study was undertaken to establish the prevalence of C. difficile in a variety of foods of animal origin, together with molecular strain characterization and antimicrobial resistance. MethodsA total of 235 samples comprising raw meat and meat products, fish products, and milk and milk products were screened for C. difficile. Toxin genes and other parts of PaLoc were amplified in isolated strains. The resistance pattern towards commonly used antimicrobial agents was studied by the Epsilometric test. ResultsC. difficile was isolated from 17(7.23%) different food samples of animal origin, including toxigenic (6) and non-toxigenic (11) isolates. In four toxigenic strains, the tcdA gene could not be detected under used conditions (tcdA-tcdB+). However, all strains had binary toxin-associated genes (cdtA and cdtB). The antimicrobial resistance was highest in non-toxigenic C. difficile isolates in food of animal origin. ConclusionMeat, meat products and dry fish, but not milk and milk products were contaminated with C. difficile. Contamination rates were low with diverse toxin profiles and antibiotic resistance patterns among the C. difficile strains.

PRODUCTION AND INCOME ANALYSIS OF DRIED FISH BUSINESS IN BENGKULU CITY

The research objective was to analyze the factors that influence the dried fish business and the dried fish business income in Bengkulu City. The research was conducted in Kampung Melayu District, Bengkulu City. The research population is salted and fresh dried fish. The total respondents respectively are 65 and 56 people. The analytical method used is the Cobb-Douglas production function model to answer the first objective and income analysis to answer the second objective. The results of the study concluded: (1) the results of the F test analysis of the business of making salted and fresh dried fish had a significant effect on the variable production of salted and fresh dried fish. The results of the T-test on the production model of the business of making salted dried fish have three influential factors, namely Raw Materials (BB), Labor (TK), and Dummy (D). The dry fish production model only has one factor that has a significant effect, namely Raw Materials (BB). (2) Based on the results of the analysis, the costs incurred for the production of salted dried fish are IDR 2,874,932/week and the costs incurred for the production of fresh dried fish are IDR2,392,144/week. Revenue for salted dried fish makers are IDR6,116,308/week and for fresh dried fish makers are IDR4,557,411/week. The income of the salt dried fish maker are IDR3,241,375/week and the fresh dried fish maker are IDR2,185,266/week. R/C Ratio analysis obtained efficiency values of 2.13 and 1.91 respectively so the business is carried out proved to be efficient.

Evaluation of Muscle Proximate Composition and Nutritional Value of Six Freshwater Fish Species

Fish is an economically viable source of animal protein that is widely available even in rural areas, making it an easily accessible source of protein. The aim of the present study was to determine the proximate composition and nutritional value of 6 different freshwater species of fishes: Orechromis nitoticus, Labeo rohita, Ompok bimaculatus, Notopterus chitala, Channa striata, and Catla catla. The study was conducted from March to September 2022. Nutritional and economic factors were taken into account in the selection of the fish types. According to our findings, dry fish has high-protein content and low-fat which can contribute greatly to children's as well as adult’s recommended protein intake. Fish nutritional value varies significantly depending on the species, size, and age of the fish, but understanding the proximate composition of the fish can provide us with a general idea of its nutritional profile. The data that has been summarized could prove to be beneficial for further studies to determine how dry fish can be utilized effectively to combat malnutrition issues in India and also shares an insight into nutritional values of different fresh water fishes available in the Kalaburagi region.

Vitamin D levels in seven non-identical occupational groups entail redefining of existing vitamin D deficiency diagnostic cut off level for native Bangladeshi population

Background and objectives: Recent publications have reported alarming prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in South Asian countries including Bangladesh. But, data on vitamin D levels in different occupational groups are lacking. This study addressed the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in different occupational groups of Bangladesh. Additionally, the study estimated parathyroid hormone, phosphate, calcium and metabolic syndrome in these groups to see the effect of hypovitaminosis D on these parameters. Materials and method: Seven diverse occupational groups (agrarian workers, rickshaw-pullers, young cricketers and footballers, fishermen, dry fish industry workers, garment-workers and medical students) of Bangladesh were selected based on grade of physical activity and level of sun exposure. Blood was collected for the estimation of 25(OH) vitamin D, fasting glucose,lipid profiles, calcium, phosphate, magnesium and intact parathyroid (iPTH) hormone. Multiple comparisons of these variables among the 7 groups were estimated by ANOVA. Results: A total of 785 (m / f = 359 / 426) participants volunteered. Of them, 54.2% had vitamin D deficiency. Metabolic syndrome was 5% and showed no significant association with hypovitaminosis D (x2 = 0.9, p=0.43). For biophysical characteristics, the mean (±SD) values of age, body mass index, waist to hip ratio and waist to height ratio were – 33.8±16.3y, 22.3±4.1 kg/m2, 0.87±0.06 and 0.39±0.16, respectively. The values for vitamin D (ng/ml), calcium (mg/dl), iPTH (pgm/ml) and phosphate (mg/dl) were 20.25±13.1, 9.57±1.85, 38.22±24.54 and 4.18±0.81, respectively. The comparisons of vitamin D and other related variables among the groups (ANOVA) showed vitamin D level in the garments worker was significantly (p<0.01) higher from other 6 groups. Likewise, compared with other six, rickshaw-pullers had significantly higher calcium level. Calcium, phosphate and parathyroid hormone did not show any change with decreasing vitamin D level (high to low quartile: Q4→Q1), though parathyroid hormone increased significantly at the lowest vitamin D level (Q1:<11.8ng/ml: p=0.002). Conclusion: The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D was high irrespective of occupations, site (rural/urban), social class and sun-exposure. Overall, vitamin D level was low though varied among the groups. Despite minimum and maximum sun-exposure, the garments workers had the highest and the fishermen had the lowest vitamin D levels, respectively. Calcium level was normal in all groups. Calcium, phosphate and parathyroid hormone did not show any changes with decreasing vitamin D, though parathyroid hormone increased significantly when vitamin D decreased to the lowest quartile. The findings indicate that the specific cut off value for vitamin D deficiency needs to be determined for population of a given geographic area. IMC J Med Sci. 2023; 17(2):001. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55010/imcjms.17.011 *Correspondence: M Abu Sayeed, Department of Community Medicine, Ibrahim Medical College, 1/A, Ibrahim Sarani, Segunbagicha, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh. Email: sayeed1950@gmail.com

First report on occurrence of heavy metals in dried fishes from major fishing villages in Kerala coast, Southwest India

Heavy metal concentrations in dried fishes collected from four fishing villages of Kerala, India, have been assessed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Overall, metal concentrations in dry fishes were in the decreasing order: Zn>Pb>Cu>Cr>Cd. Except Pb and Cr, other metals assessed were within permissible limits. Higher accumulation of Pb may be attributed to anthropogenic sources of metals that are persistent in the southwest coast of India, especially the Kerala coast, due to extensive industrialization, urbanization, fishing and port activities. Thirty-six species of dried fishes collected from Azhikode and Munambam zones were found to have more metal accumulations. The metal pollution assessment of dried fishes indicated that Pb and Cr concentrations are higher in the Kerala coast. Further studies must be carried out in more dried fish species and other preserved seafood to ensure that the dried fishes processed from these polluted coastal zones do not cause any harm to the consumers.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Fisheries Sector and Actions Taken to Cope with the Situation: A Case Study from a Top Fish-Producing Country

Bangladesh, one of the top fish producers in the world, has rapidly been expanding its annual fish production. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and related preventative measures have had a substantial impact on the nation’s fishing sector. In this study, a survey was performed in the Brahmanbaria subdistrict of Bangladesh to assess the impact of COVID-19 and the subsequent efforts made by the Department of Fisheries (DoF), Bangladesh, to mitigate the negative impact on the culture and capture fisheries. The socioeconomic profile of fishery stakeholders for the years 2019, 2020, and 2021 was used to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic situation on fish farming, fish hatcheries, fish nurseries, the fish feed industry, and the dry fish industry. Data analysis showed that the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the income of fishery stakeholders and their livelihoods. The income of fish farmers decreased by 47.49% in 2020 as compared to the base year of 2019 but increased by 129.34% in 2021, showing the effects of COVID-19 and mitigation efforts. Transport and movement restrictions adversely affected the culture fisheries while favouring capture fisheries with an increased annual catch. To counter or reduce most of those issues, the DoF, Bangladesh, took necessary steps, such as constructing a virtual control room and engaging the fishermen in some unique activities. Fishermen and other stakeholders benefitted because of farm visits, online training, improved interdepartmental coordination, monitoring of fish-selling marketing channels, activation of the FIAC (Farmer’s Information and Advice Centre), and women’s engagement through the provision of subsidies and loans. The DoF constructed fish sanctuaries and implemented law enforcement in 2020 and 2021 to safeguard the habitat for small indigenous species (SIS). These actions might have improved the stakeholders’ income and the post-pandemic scenario by increasing fish productivity. However, further study is recommended on the effective mitigation measures for drawing a clear conclusion.

Antibacterial activity and phytochemical screening of some medicinal plant extracts against bacteria isolated from food materials sold in Keffi, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Phytochemical analysis of ethanol and aqueous extracts of the leaves and bark of Bidens plasa and Brilliantasia patula plant were carried out using standard technique. The plants parts were extracted through cold maceration technique. Bacteria were isolated using standard microbiology methods. Antibacterial activity of the extracts was carried out using agar well diffusion technique. Results of the phytochemical analysis revealed flavonoids, phenols, alkaloid, tannins, steroids, saponins, anthraquinone, reducing sugar, terpenes and glycosides were present in the plant extracts. The extracts were tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp, Salmonella spp and P. aeruginosa isolated from tomato, vegetables and dry fish. The aqueous leaves extract of Bidens plasa inhibited all the test isolates at 50.0 mg and 25.0 mg. The ethanol leaves extracts of Bidens plasa had more antibacterial activity against the test bacteria. The ranges of inhibition zone of the test bacteria were E. coli had 14.0±0.42 mm at 50.0 mg, 11.00±2.00 mm at 25.0mg and 7.00±0.10 mm at 12.5 mg; Klebsiella spp with 13.03±0.32 mm at 50.0 mg and 10.0±3.00 mm at 25.0mg respectively. The bark of extract of Brilliantasia patula had more antibacterial activity in various amount of the extract ranging from 50mg – 12.5mg against the test bacteria. The range of inhibition zone of the test bacteria were E. coli had 13.0±0.21 mm at 50.0 mg, 7.0±1.00 mm at 25.0mg and 5.00±0.11 mm at 12.5 mg and Klebsiella spp with 10.00±1.00 at 50.0 mg and 6.00±0.01 mm at 25.0 mg. The antimicrobial activity demonstrated by these plant extracts on food borne pathogens indicated the preservative potentials these extracts possess in controlling the bacteria growth.

Development of SMI (Small and Medium Industry) Centres for Fisheries Sector in the Northern Region of Aceh through Community Empowering Around the Coast by Strengthening Networks, Digitization and Downstream Products

Pusong Baro Village and Ulee Jalan Village are two villages located in Banda Sakti district, under the administration of Lhokseumawe City. It has abundant natural wealth from the fishery sector, and has great potential as a dry fish producing village in the Lhokseumawe City area. However, the development of the community's dry fish processing business production is still not good. Problems in the management of dried fish are constrained by the lack of processing of existing dried fish, products that are packaged not yet on standard packaging, marketing of products that are still conventionally so that the sales commodities are small, as well as less qualified marketing management. In overcoming the obstacles of dry fish production in Pusong Baro Village and Ulee Jalan Village, this community service activity provides facilities to the community villages in the form of business tools that facilitate the production process such as vacuum sealer machines, fish drying ovens, oil slicing machines and making fish drying houses . The output of community service activities in Pusong Baro Village and Ulee Jalan Village is that they can develop better dry fish processing, product packaging which has been standardized and interesting, increased ability of community business management, publication of service journals, simple IPR , creation of an introduction catalog website dried fish products as well as uploading videos of service activities on the YouTube platform. With this service activity, it is hoped that production activities can increase to be even better than before and can expand the dried fish market commodity community production of Pusong Baro Village and Ulee Road Village.

Traceability adoption in dry fish supply chain SMEs in India: exploring awareness, benefits, drivers and barriers

The illegal harvesting of seafood and the mislabelling of dry fish products have become more prominent in recent years. Traceability in the dry fish supply chain deserves research attention, especially among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in a developing country like India. To implement the traceability system, it is necessary to identify the variables and their inter-relationships that influence traceability in a food supply chain. This research aims to identify the awareness, benefits, drivers, and barriers that affect traceability adoption in the dry fish supply chain. Data were collected from 226 dry fish supply chain stakeholders through a cross-sectional survey (both online and offline) in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, two central maritime states of India. A conceptual model is developed, and the inter-relationship among the factors underlying the traceability implementation is analysed through correlation matrices and multiple regression modelling. The results show that the Indian dry fish stakeholders moderately understand the traceability system. Product safety and quality are identified as the primary benefits of traceability, while quality concerns and food safety regulations are observed as primary drivers. The significant barriers are the cost of a traceability system, lack of a co-ordinator and lack of government support.

Optimization of a Bilih fish drying system using the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS)

The quality of dried Bilih fish can be determined on the basis of its water and protein content. The dried Bilih fish produced by Small Medium Enterprise (MSE) Mina Lestari has a high water content of 24% and a low protein content of 35%. These problems were addressed using a proposed parabolic-type drying machine, whose operating system is affected by drying duration, drying tray height, tray rotation, drying layer material and rack quantity and capacity. The results showed that water content decreased to 11.98% and that protein concentration increased to 64.02%. The sensitivity analysis indicated that changes in the values of quality attributes were minimally sensitive to alterations in the weights attached to water and protein content. The optimal combination of factor levels would remain consistent even under a weight of ≤0.83286 ascribed to water content, indicating that a weight ranging from 0 to 0.83286 for this substance exhibits little sensitivity to the initial decision on level factors.

Impacts of the Victoria Nile Bujagali hydropower dam on fisheries and livelihoods

AbstractThe Upper Victoria Nile (UVN) flows from Lake Victoria into Lake Kyoga, spanning 117 km and supports a diverse aquatic fauna that sustains livelihoods of riverside communities. The UVN is habitat to critically endangered (Labeo victorianus), near threatened (Oreochromis variabilis and Oreochromis esculentus), and rare species (Neochromis simotes). Four hydropower dams were built on the UVN to provide energy for industrial and socioeconomic development, notwithstanding consequential environmental and socioeconomic impacts. The impacts of Bujagali hydropower (BHP) dam on fisheries and livelihoods were assessed biannually (April and September) from 2006 to 2019, using fishing effort, species abundance, catch composition, and economic beach revenue at upstream, mid‐reservoir, and downstream transects. The fishing boats increased from 31 in 2009 to 293 in 2019 and fishers from 83 to 500 over the monitoring period. Maximum annual catch of 461.4 t was recorded in 2014 and lowest of 54.2 t in 2009. In all transects, Protopterus aethiopicus and Labeo victorianus were least in the commercial catches and the use of Mormyrus kannume juveniles as bait for Nile perch fishery corresponded with increased catches from 3.3 t in 2009 to 148.2 t in 2019. Women were mostly engaged in post‐harvest activities such as fish drying, smoking, and food vending. These observations suggest coupling effects of the hydropower dam and ineffective fisheries management. The harvest of M. kannume wild stocks for bait should be banned and research in possible domestication of the species undertaken. There is a need to strengthen fisheries enforcement to curb illegal effort and overexploitation and to implement conservation actions to mitigate potential biodiversity impacts from the hydropower dam operations.

Fish Dryer With Temperature Control Using the Fuzzy Logic Method

Fish is a food in great demand at home and abroad, and apart from its delicious taste, fish is also prevalent because of its health benefits. High protein content and lower fat content compared to other animal protein sources. However, the quality of fish is effortless to decline and spoil. One of the efforts to preserve processed fish so that it can be stored for a more extended period is using preservation. The purpose of preserving fish is to keep fish as long as possible by eliminating the causes of spoilage. There are various types of fish preservation, one of which is drying. Fish drying is a process of reducing the water content in fish to inhibit spoilage. Several factors affect the drying fish’s operation: temperature and airflow velocity. Temperatures that are too large can cause case hardening where the outside of the fish is dry, but the inside is still wet. Then the temperature chosen in this study was 50°C and 60°C with consideration of nutritional standards for dried fish and airflow velocity of 1.5 - 2 m/s. According to SNI 2732.3: 2009, the maximum water content in dried fish is 40%. This system is supported by a type k thermocouple temperature sensor, load cell sensor, tubular heater, fan, solid state relay, keypad, I2C LCD, and Arduino mega. Two input variables must be controlled in a fish dryer: temperature and weight. At variable temperatures, the input is a type k thermocouple sensor. The output is an SSR that holds the tube heater so that the temperature of the fish dryer matches the setpoint temperature. The fuzzy logic method controls the temperature when drying fish does not exceed the set point temperature.

Species Diversity and Status of Asia’s largest Dry Fish Market

Species Diversity and Status of Asia’s largest Dry Fish Market

Nutritional quality assessment of three commonly consumed dry fishes in Bangladesh

Nutritional quality assessment of three commonly consumed dry fishes in Bangladesh

Fish Market and Marketing System in the Cuddalore DistrictChidambaram and Parangipettai Regions

The fish production in the country in 2022 was 8.13 million tonnes, of which 4.2 million tonnes was contributed by the marine sector and the rest by inland sector. Fish and fish products accounted for approximately Rs.9,200 crore towards country’s exports, which constitutes 20% of the national agricultural exports. Marine fisheries sector forms the source of livelihood for over 7.5 million traditional fishermen inhabiting about 5,600 coastal fishing villages situated along the country’s coastal belt. It provides direct and indirect employment for several million people in fishing, processing, trading and ancillary activities. The present study aims to find out the marketing problems of fisherman in Chidambaram and Parangipettai Villages in the Cuddalore District. A large number of people are concerned with fish production, distribution and marketing systems in both the fish markets of the Cuddalore District, viz., the Chidambaram fish market and the Parangipettai fish market. The main aim of this study is to describe the present status of fish marketing system of fish and dry fish products. The description is based on primary data and secondary data collected in the different markets.

Türkiye’de Karadeniz’in Farklı Bölgelerinde Üretilen Balık Unlarının Hayvan Besleme Açısından Değeri

Balık unu gerek insan tüketimine uygun olmayan balıkların, gerekse balıkçılık endüstrisinde arta kalan atıkların işlenip 
 kurutulması veya çeşitli teknolojik işlemlerden geçirilmesi sonucu elde edilmektedir. Balıkçılık endüstrisinin iki ana temel 
 ürünlerinden biri olan balık unu, yüksek aminoasit, vitamin ve mineral madde içeriğiyle yüksek sindirilebilirliğe sahip bir protein 
 kaynağı olarak yemlerde kullanılmaktadır. Balık ununu diğer yem hammaddelerinden üstün kılan en önemli özelliklerden biri de 
 içerdiği esansiyel aminoasitler ve uzun zincirli çoklu doymamış yağ asitleridir. Balık ununun rasyona katılması ile genç 
 hayvanlarda performans ve bağışıklık sistemi olumlu etkilenmektedir. Balık ununun kanatlı rasyonlarına %3-10, sığır ve koyun 
 rasyonlarına %5, domuz rasyonlarına da %10 katılabileceği ifade edilmektedir. Türkiye’de balık unu ve yağı üretiminin önemli 
 kısmı Karadeniz Bölgesinde yapılmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, Karadeniz Bölgesinde yer alan dört farklı balık unu fabrikasında alınan 
 balık unlarının besin madde içeriği değerlendirilmiştir. Buna göre en yüksek değerler; kuru madde (KM) %95.90 (p<0.0001) ve 
 ham kül (HK) %17.20 (p<0.0001) ile D, ham protein (HP) %73.40 (p<0.0001) ile A, ham yağ (HY) %11.33 (p<0.01) ile B, 
 metabolik enerji (ME, kanatlı) 3537.5 Kcal kg-1
 (p<0.001) ile B fabrikasında tespit edilmiştir. Çalışmada genel olarak bütün 
 amino asitler bakımından en yüksek değerler A fabrikasında, en düşük değerler D fabrikasında elde edilmiştir (p<0.0001). 
 Esansiyel yağ asitlerinden linoleik ve linolenik asit miktarları bakımından fabrikalar arasında istatistiksel bir farkın olmadığı 
 (p˃0.01), palmitik asit, palmitoleik asit ve oleik asit düzeylerinin ise önemli düzeyde (p˃0.001) B fabrikasında görüldüğü tespit 
 edilmiştir. Ülkemizde yaygın olarak Karadeniz Bölgesinde üretilen balık unları arasında besin madde bileşenleri açısından 
 farklılık olduğu belirlenmiştir