Vegetarian Fish

The Aquaculture Research Institute (ARI) was established in 1988 to provide a focus for aquaculture research at the University of Idaho.

Aquaculture is a highly diverse activity involving food production, fisheries enhancement and fisheries stock restoration. Thus, it touches a wide array of scientific disciplines. One area of research that is gaining momentum is finding food for fish that is not derived from animal byproducts. I talked with the director of U of I's Aquaculture Research Institute, Dr. Ron Hardy. "Aquaculture has grown so rapidly over the last 10 or 15 years, that it has outstripped the global supply of fish meal and fish oils produced every year making it necessary for us to switch to other sustainably produced ingredients, the same kinds of ingredients that are used to feed chickens and hogs made from soybeans, corn and wheat. We are in a period of transition right now around the world, to move the aquaculture industry away from its traditional sources of ingredients derived from the sea basically, to those produced on land. It is kind of a challenge because we are faced with trying to make carnivorous fish into vegetarians. We are relying on plant byproducts to provide protein and other nutrients to the fish." Idaho produces more than 70 percent of the United States' farmed trout, and Idaho's aquaculture industry generates $100 million annually.