The fishmeal and fish oil industry: a perspective on sustainability, justice, and food security

Aquatic food systems–as a critical nutritional component of the larger food system–must be rooted in justice to promote global nutrition and planetary health goals. Here we examine the global fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO) industry, which annually consumes around 15–20 million tons of wild-caught fish, through four dimensions of justice–distributional, recognitional, institutional, and environmental. Drawing on examples from South America, West Africa, and South Asia, we explore how FMFO production generates and exacerbates inequities in food access, environmental harm, and governance failures. Addressing these justice gaps requires reforms in corporate and State governance to realign FMFO production with human rights and environmental sustainability objectives.