Spatial footprint and climate risk in fishmeal and fish oil production
department or school: Science, Faculty of
department or school: Oceans and Fisheries, Institute for the
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCV
creator: Shea, Lauren Ashley
issued: 2024-08-30T15:08:40Z
issued: 2024
related degree: Master of Science - MSc
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: Fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO) are essential components for compound aquatic feeds supporting the fed aquaculture sector, yet their use is controversial. This controversy centers on the utilization of wild fish to feed farmed fish and whether reducing whole fish into flour and oil is the best use of wild fish populations, especially given that the species targeted for FMFO production, mainly small pelagics, play a crucial role in marine food webs and underpin nutrition security for many people worldwide. This controversy is exacerbated by rapid changes in the ocean, driven by climate change. Despite the world’s largest fishery (by weight) being mostly reduced into FMFO, publicly available data on the industry are scarce. This thesis addresses two main questions, 1) what is the global footprint of the FMFO industry, and 2) how will climate change impact the industry? To map the spatial distribution of the FMFO industry, I identified factories in countries producing at least 500 tonnes of fish oil in 2022 (n=63), uncovering 506 factories owned and/or operated by 413 companies. Data on raw materials used to produce FMFO revealed that while most factories utilize fish by-products, many still rely on whole fish. This information has been compiled into an open-source database including company names, factory locations, and raw materials. Building on this, I analyzed projected maximum catch potential (MCPs) for species reduced as whole fish (n=32) under two contrasting climate scenarios: high-emission and low-emission. Findings suggest high variability in projected MCPs across the different species and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) in which they are caught under both climate scenarios. Summarized by iv continent, aggregate MCP is projected to decline by the mid- 21st century off the coast of Africa, Asia, Europe, with South America experiencing the greatest declines. The findings from this thesis underscore the critical importance of understanding where FMFO production is …
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/89119
note: Spatial Footprint and Climate Risk in Fishmeal and Fish Oil Production by Lauren Ashley Shea B.Sc., University of South Florida, 2017 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Master of Science in The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (Oceans and Fisheries) The University of British Columbia (Vancouver) August 2024 © Lauren Ashley Shea, 2024 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for acceptance, the thesis entitled: Spatial Footprint and Climate Risk in Fishmeal and Fish Oil Production Submitted by Lauren Ashley Shea in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Oceans and Fisheries Examining Committee: U. Rashid Sumaila, Professor, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, UBC Supervisor Daniel Pauly, Professor, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, UBC Supervisory Committee Member Philippe Le Billon, Professor, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, UBC Additional Examiner Additional Supervisory Committee Members Colette Wabnitz, Research Associate, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, UBC Supervisory Committee Member William Cheung, Professor, Director, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, UBC Supervisory Committee Member iii Abstract Fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO) are essential components for compound aquatic feeds supporting the fed aquaculture sector, yet their use is controversial. This controversy centers on the utilization of wild fish to feed farmed fish and whether reducing whole fish into flour and oil is the best use of wild fish populations, especially given that the species targeted for FMFO production, mainly small pelagics, play a crucial role in marine food webs and underpin nutrition security for many people worldwide. This controversy is exacerbated by rapid changes in the ocean, driven by climate change. Despite the world’s largest fishery (by weight) being mostly reduc…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 2024-11
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0445267
language: eng
degree discipline: Oceans and Fisheries
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
scholar level: Graduate
contributor: Sumaila, Ussif Rashid
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/89119