ICAR-CMFRI stakeholder consultation on fishmeal and fish oil sector
ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Kochi, organised a stakeholder consultation on fishmeal, fish oil and fisheries management on 28th April 2026, highlighting key challenges and opportunities in the sector.
Amid rising demand for fishmeal and fish oil, marine experts called for making traceability mandatory to curb Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. Participants stressed that end-to-end traceability—from harvest and processing to final consumption—is essential to ensure sustainability, regulatory compliance and market credibility.
The consultation, attended by scientists, industry representatives and policymakers, raised concerns over unregulated sourcing and underscored the need for stronger documentation and monitoring systems to improve accountability and prevent unsustainable practices.
Experts also emphasised diversifying raw material sources to ease pressure on conventional fish stocks. In this context, mesopelagic resources—deep-sea species found in midwater zones—were identified as a promising alternative.
A first-of-its-kind pilot study led by CMFRI indicated that mesopelagic resources could be economically viable for fishmeal production. However, experts noted that further research and validation are needed before large-scale adoption.
Dr Grinson George, Director of ICAR-CMFRI presided over the meeting. Dr Shubdeep Ghosh, Assistant Director, ICAR; Dr George Ninan, Director of ICAR-CIFT; Dr Sanjay Pandey, Deputy Commissioner of Fisheries, Department of Fisheries, Govt. of India; Dr J Jayasankar, Dr Sujitha Thomas, Dr U Ganga, Dr Shoba Joe Kizhakudan, Dr Ansar Ali and stakeholders representing fish meal and oil industry spoke on the occasion.
