Fishmeal Feeds Livestock Farming — Sometimes at the Expense of Marine Ecosystems

Some pig and poultry farmers incorporate tiny fish into feed because of the nutritional benefits, but critics warn that overextraction of these fish could disrupt the marine food web.

By: Gaea Cabico

Outlets: Sentient

Published: July 15, 2026

Words: 1,265

Last Updated: 1 week ago

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People usually associate livestock feed with soy and grains like wheat and corn. But farmers also feed pigs and chickens fishmeal, a protein-rich powder made from small wild fish such as anchovies and sardines, and fish-processing scraps like internal organs and trimmings. Each year, hundreds of billions to more than a trillion tiny forage fish are caught and processed into fishmeal and fish oil.

Critics argue that producing fishmeal requires harvesting enormous numbers of …

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