Documentary highlights benefits of soy use in fish feed

There are many benefits of using U.S. soy as an ingredient in fish feed, from sustainability to affordability to quality. A new soy-checkoff-funded documentary highlights them all.

The video was produced by the soy checkoff and the U.S. Soybean Export Council, both of which have funded research at Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute and seafood producer Pacifico Aquaculture on the benefits of replacing fish meal and fish oil with U.S. soy in feed for aquaculture. From fingerling to sushi, this video follows the aquaculture production process at Pacifico Aquaculture’s operation at Isla Todos Santos, Baja, Mexico, which raises native white bass and hybrid striped bass, among other species.

As consumers demand more and more seafood and fish, the global aquaculture sector holds significant opportunity for U.S. soy for use as a main ingredient in feeds, says Sharon Covert, a soybean farmer from Tiskilwa, Ill., and United Soybean Board International Marketing program chair.

“We have research and studies that show many species of fish have superior rates of growth and weight gain when fed soy-based feeds,” says Covert. “With this mini-documentary, we are now able to show others in the aquaculture sector how sustainable soy is and what a good product soy-based feeds can help to produce.”

The project follows the partnership involved in the entire hatch-to-harvest process, including a fingerling transfer from the hatchery at Hubbs-Sea World, stocking at the Pacifico site for grow-out and harvesting, processing at Santa Monica Seafoods and end consumption at the Sushi School of Los Angeles.

The 69 farmer-directors of USB oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy’s customers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.

For more information on the United Soybean Board, go to www.unitedsoybean.org.