3-2 IAN Fish Food $$

What’s in fish food that makes it so expensive for aquiculturists? I’m DS and I’ll tell you in a minute.

 As part of a USDA 2009 Disaster Assistance program, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) is distributing funds to eligible aquaculture producers that suffered losses associated with high feed costs during 2009.  The USDA Farm Service Agency is providing $20 million in the form of grants to states where farm-raised aquaculture producers need assistance as a result of high feed costs. I wondered what could be in fish food that made it so expensive and I got my answer from Gary Fornshell, U of I Extension Educator in Aquaculture: “With trout specifically, it’s been the cost of fish meal which is the primary protein that’s used in the feed.   Anchovies, sardines, menhaden. Why have prices gone up on those fish? The majority of fish meal in the world is produced down in Peru. When they have an El Nino effect, the fish leave the area so the supply is reduced. Also there’s a finite supply…around 6 million metric tons but in the 2000’s there’s actually been a decrease to 5 million metric tons. China’s the largest purchaser of fish meal and when they buy it all up that means reduced supply which drives prices up.”