John Bruton
Ceist:90 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the effect on stocks of the fish species harvested for feed for farm salmon of the increase scale of salmon farming. [14491/01]
Written Answers. - Aquaculture Development.
With regard to the development of aquaculture in Ireland, I fully share the aspiration set out in the 1997 Strategy Report on Sustainable Development that human activity must not undermine the long-term productivity of supporting ecosystems.
At global level, statistics show that there has been little change in recent years in the world catch of industrial fish. Approximately 20% of world fishmeal production is used in aquaculture. Fishmeal is important also to many other industries, such as the pet food market, some livestock operations and chicken farming. The latter are the highest consumers of fishmeal. From a protein utilisation point of view, the amount of dietary protein retained by salmon is approximately twice that of swine and chicken. It is considered that if aquaculture ceased using fishmeal in feeds, this would not impact on landings of fish for fishmeal due to the strong competition for supplies from other sectors. Nevertheless, at international level research is being directed at the development of alternative sources of protein and lipids for use in aquaculture. Much of the fishmeal used in Irish aquaculture comes from the managed pelagic species of the North Atlantic such as herring and blue whiting and by-products of fish processing.