| Summary: | In 2006, fish meal prices reached levels that were previously unimaginable and nearly double the high end of thenormal price range over the past several decades. This development was the result of increased demand from theaquaculture industry coupled with recent global fish meal production significantly lower than the 15-year average. Itis likely that fish meal prices will remain higher than the normal price range for the foreseeable future, resulting inhigher use level of conventional alternative protein sources as well as those that, until recently, have been tooexpensive to consider in aquafeeds. High fish meal prices will also spur investment by industries that up to nowhave been unwilling to risk investing in equipment or technology. Higher investment in fish nutrition research isalso likely. Research is needed to better define the dietary requirements of many commercially important species offarmed fish and shrimp, and to identify nutrients and other constituents of alternative protein sources that are presentin fish meal and lacking in alternative protein sources.
|
|---|
