news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/02/salmon-insect-feed-fish-meal-netherlands/Most of the salmon that we consume are grown in aquaculture environments, such as those shown in the picture above, and are fed a specific diet made up of fish meal. This is a nutrient-rich mix of fish caught solely for the purpose of feeding them to salmon and other fish, but it has drawn criticism from environmentalists who feel that it is an inefficient method. Because of their fear that the process contributes to overfishing and the bycatch of sensitive marine animals, the Netherland based company Protix has developed a more sustainable fish meal based on black soldier flies. After research that began in 2014, teams at Protix discovered that a large amount of protein resides in the insects larvae. Some of the aquaculture industry may be reluctant to switch, but Protix tested the insect-based meal for four years, 1.5 years past salmon maturity, and used blind salmon taste tests to determine that their meal has no impact on flavor. Now the only obstacle left is the scaling up of the Protix company in order to meet the growing demand of salmon in a timely fashion while selling insect-meal at a decent price.
The demand for salmon worldwide is soaring which consequently means the demand of fish meal is on the rise as well. With the growing evidence of the unsustainability of continued fish meal production, including the potential chemical runoff from soil and plastic that eventually ends up in the fish that salmon consume, Protix's black soldier flies seem like a step in the right direction. We must take care of our planet, and that means providing the best nutrition for every being, whether it's a human being or a pen of salmon. This is a noteworthy milestone, and hopefully Protix will keep their word and attempt to work on feeds for other aquaculture animals in the future.
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