Concerns about food shortages are deepening due to global population growth and economic growth in emerging countries. In response to future world population growth, sustainable food production will need to increase. One of them is fishing. World fisheries (natural) production has remained almost flat since the late 1980s. In fact, it is aquaculture fisheries that are doing well. The production of farmed fish has already exceeded that of wild fish. The world’s demand for fish is expanding. At the same time, the production of farmed fish is also increasing.
The feed used in fish farming is mainly fish meal made by crushing and rolling natural sardines. The other is the soybean meal after the oil has been squeezed out. Feed costs account for 70 to 80% of the cost of aquaculture. The price of fishmeal in 2022 will be 209 yen per kilogram, a 32% increase compared to 2021. The price of fishmeal for aquaculture feed, which is made from anchovies and other raw materials, is soaring. Of course, soybean prices are also volatile. If there are concerns or risks, solutions are sought to avoid them. The savior that appears becomes an insect. There is a growing movement around the world to use insects as alternative feed, which can be procured more stable than sardines.
Insects are a good source of protein. 100g of beef contains about 20g of protein, and crickets have the same amount of protein. To produce 1 kg of beef, 10 kg of feed is required. Crickets can produce 1kg of protein with 1.7kg of feed. In Europe, the market for insects is expanding, not only for food but also for livestock such as pigs and birds. It is especially popular as pet food, livestock feed, and salmon and shrimp farming feed. Japan is not defeated either. Nagasaki University has announced that it will develop a breeding device for the insect “mealworm” that can be used as feed for farmed fish. Professor Toru Kobayashi of Nagasaki University and others have created an image-based production system using IT. They are developing a “mealworm” breeding device in collaboration with a startup from Nagasaki University. They aim to efficiently grow “mealworms” in large quantities by incorporating the knowledge of Nagasaki University, which is well-versed in marine fisheries. This “mealworm” is expected to be a solution to avoid the soaring prices of anchovies and soybean meal.
