The global demand for seafood is experiencing an all-time high as the population increases, income rises, and health-conscious people surges and aquaculture sits at the center of the seafood industry. As wild fish catch plateaus and demand for high-quality protein accelerates, aquaculture has emerged as the foundation of future seafood supply. As FAO suggests, the global fisheries and aquaculture reached more than 223.2 million tonnes in 2022, which is over 4.4% more compared to 2020, creating a major impact on the world food industry. Once viewed simply as an operational expense, aquaculture feed is now being redefined as a strategic lever for profitability, resilience, and sustainable growth.
While the total of the aquatic animal production is used for over 89% human food consumption, there is no denying its critical role in maintaining global food security. Aquaculture is not just about feeding anymore; in fact, the science behind nutrition, functional ingredients, and precision feeding technologies is transforming aquatic species into biomass, health, and yield. In this blog, let’s explore and understand how the advancements in aquaculture are transforming the world’s food ecosystem.
Aquaculture Feed the Prime Business Lever: From Volume to Value in Feed Formulation
Feed represents the single largest cost component in most aquaculture operations, often accounting for 50% or more of total production costs. Historically, inefficiencies in feed use, where significant portions are lost to wastage or fail to deliver optimal nutrient absorption, have limited profitability. However, the incorporation of science in the blue industry has changed the whole story, and now the updated feed formulation techniques are turning this cost center into a strategic value driver. Moreover, even 1% improve in FCR in major aquatic animals that often include shrimps and salmon can translate to tens of millions in saved feed costs and reduced waste.
The recent feed strategy was created on three primary principles;
- Alternative Proteins & Fats: The industry has experienced a massive change in terms of the feeding components to the aquatic animals. Now, the fish farmers are using insect-based proteins, algae, and plant-derived alternatives in place of traditional fish feed. This practice increases the production value as well as decreases environmental pressure. FAO reports that aquaculture has overtaken capture fisheries as the main source of fish for human consumption, underlining its central role in meeting protein demand. Components like soy protein concentrate, insect meal, single-cell proteins, and algae-based omega-3s are gaining traction and having a large-scale commercialization. This not only secures supply chains but also dramatically improves the sustainability profile of farmed seafood.
- Functional Additives & Gut Health: OECD-FAO outlook data indicates that by 2034, nearly 84% of global fishmeal is expected to be consumed by aquaculture feed, because modern aquaculture feed is a delivery system for health. When modern science met aquaculture feed, it made the basic protein and lipid content a functional, additive-rich item that improves the overall well-being of the aquatic animals. Nutrient components that include probiotics, immune boosters, and micro-encapsulated nutrients that improve gut health, disease resistance, and survival rates. The rapid commercialization of functional additive-incorporated feed is a testament to its popularity. For instance, a Norwegian aquaculture nutrition company, Skretting, recently came forward with a new plant-powered functional fish feed product called Necto, formulated with proprietary phytocomplexes to support fish health and performance. These enhancements reduce mortality and improve overall yields, which, in turn, boost bottom-line performance.
- Precision Nutrition & Digital Integration: Modern aquaculture works provide customized, species-specific feed options. This is quite evident if we look into the latest strategic collaboration between the leading key players. Furthermore, they are made in a way that specifically meets the metabolic demand of each species at their different life stages. Moreover, the digitalization and adoption of AI and big data analytics have made the process easier, and the industrial giants, including Cargill and BioMar is using these platforms to create a model of nutritional requirement based on the local atmosphere. This data-driven approach ensures not a single pellet is wasted, pushing FCRs closer to their biological limits.
How is the Scientific Leap Enhancing Efficiency?
The modern innovation has a thriving impact on the modern aquafeed world. Over the past two decades, the average FCR for farmed Atlantic salmon has improved from approximately 1.8 to below 1.2. For tilapia, it can be as low as 1.3. This means near parity between feed input and biomass gain. Simultaneously, the inclusion rate of FMFO in salmonid feeds has dropped from over 60% in the 1990s to around 20% in 2024, without compromising growth or nutritional quality. Moreover, this evolution is an example of how advanced nutrient profiling and digestibility studies have helped aqua farming to reach another level.
Furthermore, the sustainability gains are deeper as well. Again, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies constantly demonstrate that food production is the biggest contributor to the carbon footprint. By switching land-intensive or marine-derived ingredients with novel alternatives, including insects or microbes, the carbon footprint of feed can be reduced by up to nearly 60%. This directly translates into a lower carbon label for the end seafood product, meeting the escalating demand from retailers and conscious consumers. A great instance is the collaboration between BioMar, Innovafeed, and retail giant Auchan to incorporate insect protein into commercial shrimp feed in Ecuador. This September 2025 news not only demonstrates the widespread innovation but marking a significant step toward sustainable aquaculture feed at scale.
India’s Aquaculture Feed Success: A Case Study in Feed-Driven Growth and Innovation
India is one of the largest fish producers, and fisheries contribute a larger part of revenue to the country’s economy. The trade data suggest a rapid expansion of Indian fish production, and aquaculture holds over half of the total production. Also, the government of India shared that India is the second-largest fish producer in the world, contributing roughly 8% of global production. The adoption of high-quality, scientifically formulated techniques has changed the story for the Indian fish farmers.
- Boosting Productivity & Exports
Standardized feed from major domestic and international players provided consistent nutrition. Government initiatives like Blue Revolution 2.0 have catalyzed growth by providing funding, infrastructure support, and training for scientific feeding practices. Thus, these efforts translate into large-scale production of fisheries and other aquatic animals. Fish production in India has scaled sharply, from around 95.79 lakh tonnes in 2013 to an estimated more than 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024, and the productivity increased by nearly 4.77 tonnes per hectare. Besides, India is one of the top 5 exporters of fishers globally. This export boom is directly underpinned by reliable feed-driven production.
- Use of Updated Tools Across Farms
Indian fish farmers in majority are using updated digital tools to increase productivity. The government launched a national digital traceability system for fisheries and aquaculture to meet export standards and support seafood trade growth, targeting ₹1 lakh crore in exports by 2030. Thus, the adoption of IoT-enabled sensors, real-time water monitoring tools, and AI-powered feed management helps in reducing aquaculture waste. The adoption of these technologies boosts the efficiency of the industry by more than 25% to 30% annually.
- Juxtaposing Science & Sustainability
Indian aquafeed producers are not only using digital tools, but they are also actively incorporating modern science to enhance production as well as to reduce carbon emissions. They are largely using bioactive additives, enzyme boosters, and micro-pellet technologies that enhance nutrient absorption. Moreover, this educated fish farming technique supports rapid and healthy growth in species like rohu, vannamei shrimp, and tilapia.
Final Thought
Aquaculture is not a cost item anymore; it’s the primary lever that increases the growth of production that can appease the ever-increasing global food demand. As the world takes one step forward towards nutritional science, ingredient technology, and data-driven precision, the aquaculture industry is going to demonstrate a promising future scenario.
Source: https://www.researchnester.com/reports/aquaculture-feed-market/8292
