Global production of marine ingredients recorded positive trends during the first three quarters of 2025, according to the latest market update from IFFO, The Marine Ingredients Organisation.
The improvement was supported by developments in key producing regions, particularly Peru, where the second fishing season in the North-Centre region is currently under way. By mid-December, around two thirds of the authorised quota of 1.63 million metric tonnes had already been completed.
This progress underpins IFFO’s outlook for the year. “This is a positive sign which leads us at IFFO to project a production of 5.4 million tons for fishmeal and 1.2 million tons for fish oil in 2025,” said Dr Enrico Bachis, IFFO’s Market Research Director.
Market reports shared with IFFO members indicate that cumulative global fishmeal production up to October 2025 increased by approximately 7 per cent compared with the same period in 2024. The growth was driven by higher output in most producing regions, while Iceland and the North Atlantic area were the main exceptions, reporting a year-on-year decline. A similar trend was observed in fish oil production.
Cumulative output through October 2025 rose by around 5 per cent compared with the January-October period of 2024. Most reporting countries recorded positive year-on-year performance, although Peru registered a decline, largely due to lower oil yields during the year.
These production figures are based on statistics provided by IFFO members in Chile, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Ivory Coast, Mauritius, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, Peru, South Africa and Spain. Together, these countries account for around 40 per cent of global fishmeal production and 50 per cent of global fish oil output, providing a representative overview of international market trends.
In China, domestic production of marine ingredients remained limited during the final quarter of 2025. As a result, total output for the year is not expected to exceed the 2024 estimate of 570,000 metric tonnes.
At the same time, domestic aquaculture production continued to expand through October, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, with growth reported across the country’s main farming regions. Active aquaculture is currently concentrated in warmer southern provinces such as Guandgdong, Guangxi and Hainan.
White-leg shrimp farmed in sheds and greenhouses remains one of the dominant cultured species, supporting ongoing fishmeal demand. In contrast, aquaculture activity in colder regions has largely been suspended, with farmers either stopping feed use altogether or significantly reducing it.
Against this background, cumulative fishmeal consumption in Chinese aquaculture is estimated to have exceeded last year’s levels so far in 2025, despite lower demand during the past two months compared with the same period of 2024.
Pig and piglet prices remain under pressure due to oversupply, despite a reduction in the sow herd that is expected to tighten supply next year. Although the number of piglets is still higher than a year ago, weaker recent demand has reduced piglet feed production and weighed on fishmeal use. However, stronger demand earlier in 2025 means total fishmeal consumption for the year is still expected to exceed 2024 levels.
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