Abstract
In any aquaculture practices, feed is one of the most important input cost to run the fish farming unit. In a good aquaculture system, the difference between income and the gross profit is indicated by production costs.This implies that every aquaculture venture’s financial success is determined by the income and production costs of the products sold.According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, prices for key ingredients in fish feed, such as fish meal, have risen by as much as 50% in recent years. According to a recent FAO research, fish feed accounts for more than half of fish farmers’ production expenses, and the average price of the materials widely used in fish feed has risen by 20 to 92 percent. The aquaculture industry is not immune to this worldwide phenomena, and the main issue is how it will affect the industry, according to the FAO, which also stated that commodity prices are "very unlikely" to decline in the foreseeable future.Depending on the species fed, fish feed prices range from a few hundred dollars per tonne to more than $1,000 per tonne. The major elements of any Aquaculture rely on readily accessible resources such as mustard oil cake, soybean, maize, fishmeal, fish oil, rice, and wheat, however prices of these commodities, notably fish meal, have skyrocketed since 2005.If we want to expand fish farming on a large scale and make it profitable, then it is high time to look into alternatives to fish meal. As we know returns depend on input costs and one such input cost is correct feed and feeding.
Keywords:- Aquaculture, fish meal, by-products, nutritional value, cost effective.