Non-Fish Oil Feed to Stop Forced Fish Cannibalism

Global corporation Cargill—in partnership with chemical company BASF—developed an omega-3-rich canola oil to be used in place of fish oil as feed for fish raised on aquatic farms. BASF made the new plant-based oil by genetically engineering omega-3 fatty acids into long chains. According to Cargill, the new oil will take pressure off finite marine life as currently, fish oil is sourced from wild fish populations before being fed to farmed fish to increase their omega-3 content. A recent report published by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization revealed that 25-percent of fish caught in the wild are fed to farmed fish, a contributing factor to the depletion of ocean biodiversity. It is not uncommon for individuals in the animal agriculture industry to be fed the byproducts of members of their own species. Earlier this year, dairy farmers dumped an excess of 43 million gallons of milk in fields, onto manure, and into cow feed.