Sustainability Analysis of Fish Feed Derived from Aquatic Plant and Insect

Abstract

Fish and meat production and processing will grow drastically in the coming decades. In aquacultural systems, insects are gaining interest as feed to provide a sustainable alternative to the fishmeal paradox, whose production leads to high consumption of resources and negative environmental impacts. Within the scope of this study, the production of fish feed from Hermetia illucens larvae and Lemna minor in an inline recirculating aquaponics model for urban sites was developed and optimized, which efficiently combines waste and environmental service concepts in one production system. At the same time, the value chain produces high-quality, market-accessible raw materials for the fish feed industry. All investigations were accompanied by a comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to measure and compare ecological effects to finally result in sustainable alternatives. The results achieved in this research show that fish feed based on Hermetia illucens and Lemna minor can have the potential to be ecologically competitive or more sustainable than standard feed. It should be noted that the comparison here represents the results of the project on a pilot scale. Various optimization potentials were shown, which are essential for the large-scale implementation of the breeding of both species as well as their processing up to the fish feed pellets.