The Global Fish Meal Market Is Forecasted To Reach USD 10 Billion In 2025, And Further To USD 14.9 Billion By 2035, Expanding At A 4.1% CAGR. Fish Meal Fertilizer Will Be The Leading Application Segment, While Fertilizers Will Be The Key End-Use Segment.
The global fish meal market is projected to increase from USD 10 billion in 2025 to USD 14.9 billion by 2035, with a CAGR of 4.1% during the forecast period. Growth in the fish meal market is driven by IoT-enabled sensors and AI that monitor water quality, fish health, and feeding schedules in real time. Automation, robotics, and blockchain improve sustainability, traceability, and consumer trust in seafood supply chains.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Industry Size (2025E) | USD 10 billion |
| Industry Size (2035F) | USD 14.9 billion |
| CAGR (2025-2035) | 4.1% |
The global fish meal market is forecast to expand from USD 10 billion in 2025 to USD 14.9 billion by 2035 at a CAGR of 4.1%. The growth is mainly because of the rising need for fishmeal in the aquaculture and livestock feed industries due to high protein content and other nutrients.
Fishmeal is still mainly used in aquaculture, where about 75% of the global output is used. The industry is driven by increased consumer demand for seafood and the sustainability of the supply of proteins. Also, its increasing market share is coordinated with the consumption of fishmeal as a part of livestock food, especially in pigs and poultry.
The world fishmeal exports stood at 885,000 tonnes in 2024, a huge rise compared to 460,000 tonnes in 2023. This recovery is a good sign that trade between countries is recovering and that fishmeal is an important animal feed that the world needs. The United States, being a significant importer, is a key player in the world fishmeal chain supply.
Fishmeal is produced in areas that have a plentiful supply of marine resources. There has been a reported high growth in fishmeal manufacturing in countries like Peru, Chile, and the United States, with growth by 29% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the preceding year. This is a sign of the industry's potential in satisfying the growing demand for high-quality feed ingredients.
The fish meal market is projected to rise further and be characterized by improved fisheries farming methods, rising global consumption of seafood products, and the need to use fishmeal to nourish animals. The expanding growth of the industry calls attention to the essence of sustainable activities and effective production processes to address the integration of the global food supply chain with the dynamic needs.
The Fish Meal Market is increasing due to the demand for high-protein, nutritious feed by the aquaculture and livestock industries. Fishmeal enhances the growth of farmed fish, poultry, and pigs, and promotes sustainable protein production. Southeast Asia and Europe are some of the major regions that are leading in demand, with the increasing consumption and law enforcement in favor of seafood.
There are problems in terms of fluctuation in raw materials, overfishing issues, and high production costs, which restrict a wider implementation. There is an increase in the investment in alternative raw materials and efficient production processes to make it sustainable and guarantee continuous growth in the market.
The fish meal market is being propelled by the increasing demand for high-protein feed in aquaculture and livestock industries. Fishmeal contains a large amount of essential amino acids and omega-3 fatty acids, which makes it an ideal feed ingredient. The FAO says that most of the fishmeal and fish oil produced in the world is used in aquaculture, and therefore, it is important to reinforce sustainable aquaculture.
In 2022, fisheries and aquaculture production worldwide stood at 223.2 million tonnes, up 4.4 percent from 2020, and a high efficiency in feed results in nutrient-rich feed being required. According to FAO, 32 percent of aquaculture feed distribution in 2021 was in fishmeal, which highlights the importance of fishmeal in the nutritional support of farmed organisms and industry expansion.
One of the biggest drivers of the fish meal market is increasing seafood consumption. Fish consumption is expected to increase to 21.2 kg by 2032 compared to 20.4 kg of the average 2020-2022, as consumers continue to prefer protein diets. This demand boom has increased aquaculture production, which heavily depends on fishmeal as a nutrient-dense feed component to guarantee good growth and quality of aquarium animals.
Sustainable animal nutrition is also supported by regulations, which enhance market growth. International organizations and governments such as FAO are advocating sustainable feeding practices, which advocate the use of conscientiously sourced fishmeal to limit environmental impact.
Such policies make fishmeal a necessary ingredient to achieve both nutritional and ecological objectives in aquaculture and livestock production due to the assurance of traceability, overfishing limitation, and long-term sustainability.
The nutritional quality of fishmeal is rapidly gaining favor over plant-based products because it has a significantly enhanced nutritional quality, and this directly correlates to the higher rate of growth in aquaculture and livestock. It has very digestible proteins, essential amino acids, as well as omega-3 fatty acids, which are usually low in plant-based feeds.
The FAO indicates that nutrition using fishmeal effectively enhances weight gain and feed conversion ratios among farmed fish and poultry, and as a result, fishmeal is an efficient growth-promoting ingredient.
Such a preference is enhanced by the increased demand for high-quality protein sources in animal products across the world. Veggies are not always sufficient to satisfy the amino acid needs of some of the species, and producers are forced to use fishmeal to obtain optimal growth and production efficiencies.
Consequently, fishmeal remains a key element in the cultivation of aquaculture and livestock feeding to guarantee economic sustainability and sustainable output.
The fish meal industry is experiencing the problem of unstable supply of raw materials and overfishing. Small pelagic fish such as anchovies and sardines, which form an important part of fishmeal production, are vulnerable to seasonal and regional fluctuations in population. The FAO says that world capture fisheries have been fairly constant at approximately 90 million tonnes/per year, yet local overfishing and climatic shifts can lower output and unsettle production.
Not only does it pose a threat to the marine ecosystems, but it also poses supply uncertainty to fishmeal producers. The regulatory regulations (catch quotas, marine park) are used to prevent depletion, but only indirectly restrict the availability of raw material. These drivers compel the producers to seek other avenues and enhance resource management to sustain and steady the production of fishmeal.
The fish meal market is mainly limited by the high cost of production and operation. Fish meal processing is a multistage energy-consuming process comprising cooking, pressing, drying, and grinding, a process that consumes a lot of capital and operational costs. Also, the expenses incurred during the procurement of raw material, the upkeep of processing factories, and the environmental control policies contribute to the total expense.
Such high expenditures may impair profitability, particularly among small-scale producers, and when the prices of raw materials are volatile. In a bid to control costs, several companies are already investing in more efficient energy-consuming technologies and streamlined production processes and yet the cost intensity of fishmeal production is a hindrance to its general adoption by the rest of the market.
The constraints on supply chains have a great impact on the regular provision of fishmeal. The availability of raw materials as small pelagic fish, is seasonal and subject to regional fishing controls and other weather disturbances to production. Such factors are said to make differences in the appearance of global fishmeal production and exports that affect feed manufacturers and aquaculture.
Transport and logistics are also a challenge since fishmeal requires processing and delivery within a short time, otherwise it becomes deficient in nutritional value. Shipping delays, insufficient processing facilities, and governmental obstacles to foreign trade may only wreak further havoc on supply chains, whereby producers may seek alternative sourcing and storage options in order to maintain a stable supply in the market.
The Fish Meal Market exhibits regional patterns that are influenced by the production, consumption, and laws. Asia-Pacific is the top producer and consumer of fish, with China, Thailand, and Vietnam as the growth powerhouses owing to the rising aquaculture industry and government-subsidized sustainable feed.
In Europe, livestock feed, especially pigs and poultry, is the primary source of demand, backed up with stringent sustainability and traceability laws. Norway and Iceland sustain supply based on high-technology production and fishing quotas.
In North America, the growth is moderate as there is a stable aquaculture and livestock sector. In the U.S and Canada, high-quality and traceable fishmeal is targeted to high-quality feed, which is mostly augmented by imports.
The largest exporters are Latin America, under the leadership of Peru and Chile, and the domestic demand for aquaculture has been gaining strength, driving local consumption. The African continent, as well as the Middle East, is also a rising economy, owing to the rising aquaculture and livestock feed demands, but production is still sparse.
| Country | CAGR (2025-2035) |
|---|---|
| Chile | 6.3% |
| China | 6.1% |
| Norway | 5.0% |
| Peru | 3.8% |
Fishmeal production in Chile is a global leader, which is motivated by large-scale anchovy fisheries along the Pacific coast. In 2024, the country exported 254,000 tonnes of fishmeal, most of it super prime-grade, which is exported to international markets. It has a robust aquaculture industry, particularly the salmon farming industry, that contributes to increased demand for quality fishmeal.
The government of Chile focuses on sustainable aquaculture and fisheries. Other agencies, such as the Instituto de Fomento Pesquero (IFOP) and the Under-Secretariat of Fisheries, are dealing with the resources and research. The initiatives, like the “Strengthening Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change in Fisheries”, are the programs that are used to help strengthen the resiliency and facilitate sustainable activity.
In Chile, the activities of the Blue Economy promote sustainability in seafood and fishmeal innovation. International partnerships and public-private cooperation are contributing to further development of technologies in aquaculture and environmentally friendly feedstuffs.
China’s large and rapidly expanding aquaculture sector drives strong fishmeal demand; as aquaculture grows, feed manufacturers increase fishmeal inclusion to boost production efficiency and shrimp performance. FAO notes aquaculture’s surge and China’s dominant role in global aquaculture growth.
In 2024, China will be the largest importer of fishmeal in the world, with 40% of the global imports. High demand for quality fishmeal is due to the high level of the aquaculture sector within the country, especially shrimp farming. Peru imports 771,000 tonnes of fishmeal to China in 2024, which is close to 90% of Peru's total fishmeal export.
Policy and industry programs are focused on sustainable sourcing and enhanced feed efficiency. For instance, the Ministry of Agriculture in China implemented its Action Plan of Transformation of Growth Mode of Aquaculture Industry, which aimed at the promotion of high-quality, harmless aquatic products and the development of model seafarms, with traceability and food safety standards.
Norway is the world's biggest producer of fish meal and feeds on its aquaculture industry, more so the Atlantic salmon industry. Exports of seafood in 2024 were NOK 175.4 billion (USD 15.5 billion). This is a 2 percent growth or 3.7 billion NOK relative to the record year in 2023. The production of farmed salmon is approximately 1.25 million tonnes annually, generating by-products that are converted to fishmeal.
Policy initiatives focus on increasing domestically sourced raw materials in aquafeeds. A governmental steering committee aims to raise the share of Norwegian-produced feed ingredients from about 8% currently to 25% by 2034, enhancing self-sufficiency and sustainability.
Regulation like the “traffic light system”, introduced in 2017, allocates production capacity geographically based on environmental risk (e.g., sea-lice effects), encouraging feed innovation to reduce environmental footprint. Overall, the system ensures sustainable aquaculture growth while driving innovation in environmentally friendly fish feed.
Peru is a world leader in fishmeal production, which is mainly anchoveta in the north-central part. In 2024, the country exported 1.01 million tonnes of fishmeal, almost twice nearly of 2023. This revival was made by good fishing and more quotas of anchoveta.
In the first fishing season of 2024 in north-central waters, a quota of 2.475 million tonnes was established by the Peruvian government via the Institute of the Sea of Peru (IMARPE). Such actions are directed at balancing the use of resources and sustainability.
The fishmeal recovery creates chances where Peru can reinforce its market within the world markets, especially within the Asian market, where there has been increased demand for high-quality fishmeal.
The fertilizer segment dominates the fish meal market, comprising 27.1% of the consumption. Fish meal has a good supply of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium; thus, it is a natural and very effective fertilizer to produce crops. The emergence of the need to produce organic farming and sustainable agricultural activities has augmented the use of fish meal fertilizers in other regions like the Asia-Pacific and Europe.
The government of India, through the National Project on Organic Farming (NPOF), promotes eco-friendly fertilizers with subsidies and certifications, encouraging farmers to replace synthetic options. For example, fish meal-based pelletized fertilizers are being adopted in Punjab to enhance nutrient efficiency and improve soil health.
The largest end-use segment is the fertilizers segment, which comprises 25.22% of the market. Fish meal contains high percentages of important nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, hence making it a worthy product in enhancing soil fertility and crop yields. Increased use of organic modes of farming, especially in the Asia-Pacific and Europe, is putting strain on fertilizers based on fish meal.
Governments are encouraging sustainable agriculture through initiatives like Japan’s Eco-Farming Promotion Program, which provides subsidies and certification for organic and eco-friendly fertilizers. Fish meal-based innovations, such as granulated and nutrient-enriched formulations, improve soil quality, boost crop productivity, and reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers.
The Fish Meal Market is very competitive, where the top players like the IFFO Members, TripleNine Group, Pesquera Diamante, COPEINCA, and FF Skagen are trying to concentrate on strategic alliances, acquisitions, and research and development to make their production lean and the products of the best quality. Firms are investing in sustainable sourcing and processing technologies in order to comply with increasing regulatory requirements and the increasing demand for high-protein feed.
One of the competitive strengths lies in sustainability and traceability. The brand name can be improved with the help of responsible fishing, certification (MSC (Marine Stewardship Council)), and eco-friendly processing technologies that may enable obtaining long-term contracts with the aquaculture and livestock industries.
Product formulation and value-added solutions are differentiated. Businesses that offer tailored feeds, nutrient-enriched, or functional additives have an advantage because they enhance the rates of growth in the animals and fulfill certain dietary requirements. Implementation of cold-pressing and extrusion, and cutting-edge drying technologies also contributes to the efficiency and consistency of operations and products.
Recent Developments
What is the Global Fish Meal Market size in 2025?
The fish meal market is valued at USD 10 billion in 2025.
Who are the Major Players Operating in the Fish Meal Market?
Prominent players in the market include IFFO Members, TripleNine Group, Pesquera Diamante, COPEINCA, and FF Skagen.
What is the Estimated Valuation of the Fish Meal Market by 2035?
The market is expected to reach a valuation of USD 14.9 billion by 2035.
What Value CAGR Did the Fish Meal Market Exhibit over the Last Five Years?
The historic growth rate of the fish meal market is 4.1% from 2020 to 2024.
Fish Meal Market