Maggie Xu, China director for the International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Association told delegates at their annual conference this week that demand for aquafeed in the second half of 2015 is not promising, and that total output of feed this year might be even less than last year.

Unsuccessful shrimp farming is one of the main things impacting fishmeal use in China. In the first eight months of the year, imports of fishmeal went down by 40.9% to 630,000 MT from 888,000 MT during the same period a year ago.

According to Xu, following the cancellation of the second anchovy fishing season in Peru last year, Chinese feed producers adjusted their strategy to combine direct imports, local purchases, domestic fishmeal and substitution, in order to lower the costs and maintain profit margins.

“However, one has to admit that fishmeal is still the most ideal protein source which cannot be completely replaced,” Xu said.

The full conference blog posted by Undercurrent News can be read here. (8 free reads per month).