Fish is an efficient source of protein
Aquaculture is one of the least resource-intensive forms of food production. Fish do not burn energy fighting gravity, and because they are cold-blooded, they do not burn energy adjusting their body temperature. This makes fish very energy efficient.
Fish have a high yield in terms of edible meat
Not all food industries are created equal in terms of the outcome of edible meat. When adding 100 kg feed, 56 kg fish meat could end up on dinner plates, whereas it is 22 kg for chicken, 11 kg for pork and 4 kg for cattle.
Source: Worldwide transformation of diets, burdens of meat production and opportunities for novel food proteins, Vaclav Smil, Enzyme and Microbial Technology 30, 2002
FCR for farmed animals
The Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) is low in aquaculture. FCR is calculated by the amount of given feed divided by the body weight gained from a production process.
The lower the FCR, the more efficient the process becomes. For example, the FCR for cattle production is between 6 and 10, for pig production between 2.7 and 5, for chicken 1.7 and 2, and for fish (large salmonids) between 1.0 and 1.5.
