IFFO: Q1 global fishmeal, fish oil production rises

Meanwhile, the cumulative fish oil output for the year through March 2025 was 24% up year over year, again mainly driven by Peru. The other regions reported a positive trend in cumulative fish oil production compared to January-March 2025, with the exception of European countries.

IFFO’s numbers are based on statistics shared by its members in Chile, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Ivory Coast, Mauritius, Norway, the UK, the US, Peru, South Africa and Spain, which account for 40% of global fishmeal production and 50% of the fish oil output. 

The organisation also highlighted that China’s latest fishing bans were implemented on 1 May 2025 and that until the next fishing season in August and September, most of the raw materials to produce fishmeal and fish oil will come from frozen fish and raw materials imports (such as sardine raw materials). 

Farm-gate prices for several species with high fishmeal dietary needs have exceeded year-ago levels. As a result, higher domestic production of aquaculture, and better demand for marine ingredients is anticipated throughout 2025, it advised.

Similarly, pig farmers have expressed growing optimism for the second-half of the year, prompting an acceleration in piglet purchases. This strong, unexpected demand for piglets is likely to drive up piglet feed production and fishmeal consumption in 2025, IFFO said. 

It further noted the prices of plant-based feed ingredients, such as soybean meal, corn and rapeseed meal, have risen due to supply constraints exacerbated partially by the ongoing trade conflict. In response, feed producers are actively seeking alternatives to soybean meal or reducing its inclusion in feed formulas to better manage overall costs.