Global fish oil output in January 2025 was up 71% year-on-year, according to data by marine ingredients organisation IFFO.
The surge was mainly due to a surge in Peruvian output, according to a statement on the organisation’s website.
Other regions also reported increased fish oil production compared to the same period the previous year, with the exception of North European countries, IFFO said on 18 March.
The data was based on statistics shared by IFFO members in Chile, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Ivory Coast, Mauritius, Norway, the UK, the USA, Peru, South Africa and Spain, accounting for 40% of global fishmeal production and 50% of fish oil output.
According to the IFFO website, the production of fish meal and fish oil has been relatively stable for the last 10 years, at approximately 5M tonnes of fish meal, and one million tonnes of fish oil. Fish meal and fish oil come from both forage fish and by-products (resulting from fish processing that would otherwise be discarded). Scandinavia accounted for 14% of fish oil production between 2013-2023, followed by Vietnam (13%), Chile and Peru at 11% each, China and USA at 7% each, Japan at 6% and Morocco at 3%. Aquafeed accounted for more than 60% of fish oil consumption in 2023.
The IFFO has 250 members in around 50 countries, accounting for over 45% of the world’s fish meal and fish oil production and 80% of the fish meal and fish oil traded worldwide.
