Insect-Based Feed Ingredients for Aquaculture: A Case Study for Their Acceptance in Greece

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Since 2017, insects can be used as ingredients in aquafeeds in the EU. However, insect-based aquafeeds are still not broadly accepted by European aquaculture companies. Understanding the beliefs of people associated with the aquaculture sector on the use of insect-based fish diets could assist their adoption. In the present study, we ran a survey among the participants of an aquaculture conference held in Greece, in order to ask them what they think regarding the inclusion of insect meal in aquafeeds. Furthermore, we inquired nine Greek aquaculture and aquafeed companies about this issue. Greece is among the largest farmed fish producers in the EU; however, there are currently no data available on the acceptance of insect-based aquafeeds in Greece. Based on our results, the majority of the respondents were aware and in favor of the inclusion of insects in aquafeeds, mainly due to their potential to lower fishing pressure on wild fish stocks used for fishmeal production and enhance the ecological footprint and sustainability of aquaculture. Moreover, six out of nine companies were favorably disposed towards the use of insects in fish diets and four of them were willing to produce or use such diets. Further studies are warranted towards this direction. ABSTRACT: Although the inclusion of insects in fish diets is officially allowed in the EU since 2017, insect-based aquafeeds have not been widely adopted by the European aquaculture sector. In order to investigate the perceptions related with adoption trends, it is critical to explore the beliefs of people associated with the aquaculture sector on the use of insects in farmed fish diets. A survey was conducted among 228 participants of an aquaculture conference to explore their perceptions on the inclusion of insect meal in fish diets. Additionally, we investigated the attitudes of nine companies operating in the aquaculture and aquafeed sector in Greece that attended the conference towards this direction. The findings of the conference survey provide evidence that there is a wide-range awareness and acceptance regarding the use of insect-based feeds in farmed fish diets among the respondents. This is mainly driven by the expectations for the decline in fishing pressure on wild fish stocks, the reduction of the ecological footprint and the enhancement of the sustainability of the aquaculture sector. The results of the stakeholder survey show that six out of the nine companies that participated in the survey are favorably disposed towards the use of insect-based feeds. Specifically, four of them stated that they would produce or use aquafeeds based on insects. However, the results highlight the need for further research on the implementation of the wider adoption of insect-based feeds in aquaculture. The present study provides some first insights into the use of insect-based aquafeeds in Greece, for which there are no data available.