Fishmeal is dried and ground fish or fish-processing material used as a protein ingredient in some aquaculture feed; fish oil is another marine ingredient. The feed needs of farmed species and production systems vary, so wild fish are part of some aquaculture supply chains, not all of them. FoodUnfolded explains how fishmeal is made and used in feed.
That link matters: a farmed fish can still depend on ingredients made from wild-caught fish. A global investigation published by The New York Times on October 8, 2026, maps that supply chain and reports how fishmeal production intersects with local fish markets in Senegal.
How wild fish becomes aquaculture feed
Fish used for fishmeal are cooked, pressed, dried and ground. Fish oil is separated from the liquid produced during processing. Feed pellets can combine these marine ingredients with plant proteins and oils; the formula depends on the species being raised. FoodUnfolded describes the processing steps and ingredients.
A 2014 animation from KQED QUEST illustrates one version of the process: small wild fish are ground into meal, combined with corn and soy ingredients, then formed into pellets for farmed fish. It’s a useful explanation of the mechanism, not a picture of every feed formula.
What the investigation’s counts cover
The Outlaw Ocean Project says it mapped 1,414 fishmeal plants across 64 countries. In a separate count, its investigation identified more than 2,400 ships connected to fishmeal production; the wider global fleet was estimated at more than 10,000 vessels. The plants, identified connected ships and estimated fleet refer to different populations. The project describes its mapped inventory, while the investigation published by The New York Times reports the vessel figures.
The project’s Bait to Plate tool follows five stages: ship, plant, feed mill, aquaculture farm and point of sale. One example traces a Chilean vessel, Odiseo, and plant, Corpesca, through a Chinese feed mill and farm to U.S. importer Aqua Star and food-service retailer Sysco. The route shows how marine ingredients can be followed beyond the farm to a market outlet. The Outlaw Ocean Project describes the tool and example chain.
The reported fish-market mechanism in Senegal
The Outlaw Ocean Project reported that Senegalese fishmeal plants buy whole fish as well as processing waste. Their demand can continue after local markets are saturated, removing a pause that once slowed purchases. The project reported that prices for fresh and dried fish more than doubled between 2019 and 2025. It also reported that small-pelagic fish availability in local markets fell by a third between 2009 and 2018, while per-capita consumption halved. Fishmeal exports more than doubled from 2022 to 2023. These figures cover different periods and measures; the project’s Senegal reporting gives the details.
Feed alternatives can shift the tradeoff
Using more plant ingredients does not automatically remove environmental pressure; the effect depends on the alternative and the scenario. A shrimp-feed model discussed by Sustainable Fisheries UW estimated that maximum substitution with five plant crops would raise freshwater use by 63%, land use by 81% and phosphorus use by 83%, relative to current use of those crops. Those are model results for that scenario, not measurements of every shrimp farm. Sustainable Fisheries UW explains the model.
Other options include fish-processing byproducts, algae, microbial proteins and insect meal. A 2022 FoodUnfolded estimate put byproducts at 27% of fishmeal and 48% of fish oil. The same explainer notes that insect meal faces limits involving digestibility, amino-acid composition and production scale. FoodUnfolded discusses these ingredients and constraints.
Species also differ in whether they need manufactured feed at all. The investigation reports that bivalves such as mussels, oysters, clams and scallops do not require it. The New York Times investigation describes this distinction.
