How Sustainable is Antarctic Krill as a Raw Ingredient?

[HUKIT]

RD. Your opinion of soldier fly based foods?

I was going to ask this exact question as all the large manufacturers are fully onboard from Insectum, Bug Pro, So-Fly, and Bug Bites to name a few.

 

[RD.]

See previous post. IMHO nothing beats the overall nutrient content, and growth potential, of a high quality marine protein, such as fish meal. The only reason manufacturers consider alternate sources of protein and fatty acids, is due to cost savings. That, and consumer demand, which is often based on nothing more than the latest fad. IME, the average consumer ain’t that smart. Lots of them choose their fish food by the fish picture displayed on the label. Nothing wrong with BSFL meal, but it wouldn’t be my first choice for a source of amino acids, or fatty acids, for growing out a fish.

 

[RD.]

BTW - I have posted a number of times here on MFK in years past regarding BSFL meal, maybe some day if/when the search feature here works properly again I'll find some of those past comments. But I wouldn't hold your breath. lol

 

[skjl47]

In this scenario, Antarctic Krill will be sustainable, as long as consumers are willing to pay the price of the end product.
Ditto to the other sources of quality marine proteins and fatty acids, such as fish meal. As long as there is money to be made, and the market will bear the cost, the show will go on. Perhaps in a more limited capacity, due to regulations etc, but it will go on.

As soon as the average consumer is no longer willing to pay for the more quality ie expensive raw ingredients, one will start seeing more feed ingredients such as soy, corn, and other terrestrial based sources. It doesn’t seem that many years ago when peas were the latest novel form of protein for fish, now we have black fly larvae, and even forms of algae supplying protein. The reality is, nothing will ever beat a quality marine protein, such as fish meal. Certainly there are numerous lower cost ways to get the job done, but nutritionally better? Not even close.

So at the end of the day, the real driving force behind the harvesting of the oceans protein, will be up to us, the consumers. I suspect that for many folks, at some point it will make more $ense, to eat more peanut butter, hot dogs and beans, vs a fillet of fish, or a beef steak. Hell, for many folks this is already a reality. Keeping fish in a glass box, will be an expense that is out of reach for the average person. Owning a pet dog or cat will follow. At that point, which is beginning to seem like it will be in the near future, the over harvesting of krill in the South Antarctic will be the least of everyone’s worry.

Hello; Let us go back a few decades. The powers that be threw a bone to folks with equipment (stills) to turn corn into ethanol. They legislated a mix of 10% ethanol alcohol be mixed into pump gasoline. The main irony among several ironies was such was minimally efficient. It took almost as much gasoline/diesel to grow, harvest and refine the corn into ethanol as was saved by putting it into a fuel mix. Even today with the gas crisis averted the program continues.
Ethanol causes problems in older vehicles. Even in newer vehicles if you let it sit too long it begins to separate from the gas. Of course companies have made fuel stabilizers to help with that.

My point is millions of tons of corn has been used as fuel for vehicles rather than food for people. An immediate consequence was a shortage of reasonably priced grain. Prices went up and hit the poorest among us hard. The plight of those was known but generally set aside. As already mentioned, the program was little help with the fuel supply. My WAG is the corn growers & distillers did not suffer. Anyway, we have a precedent for when good fish protein becomes expensive.

I already eat plenty of peanut butter. I like it. Back when a pre-teen I was in the Boy Scouts of America. There was a club of sorts called The Order of The Arrow. I went thru the "ordeal" to join. Three days of not talking, doing heavy work and plain foods. At night we were led individually in the dark to a place we had to sleep alone. ( One night I was set to sleep near a pile of s***. I figure a further thing to make me quit.) Every word spoken I was required to notch a stick I had to carry. An honor system thing. I think fifteen notches was the limit. I wound up with four. One for mashing the finger of a fellow candidate. I said sorry. I made the cut and still have the pocket patch.
Had a big ceremony with a bonfire and we dressed up like Indians. (now it would be called cultural appropriation) headdress and all for the older members. To the point, three days of peanut butter without jelly on plain bread and only water to drink. Seemed mean at the time but I now eat Peanut Butter from the jar with a spoon with only water to drink and like it.

I rehash a point for a failed pet thread. The well enough off will continue to feed their dogs & cats meat. That I do not doubt. The food diverted from the worlds hungry people be dammed. Same for the environmental impact. So, we agree more or less.

 

[LBDave]

Hello; I generally understand the logic i personally use when making decisions about interacting with the world & people. Much rarer for me to understand the logic of folks whose views are increasingly different. I imagine there are folks/groups who see my keeping fish in a tiny glass box as being cruel and figured they looked at the captive Orcas the same way.
A story. I was a middle teen at the time. A logger I knew brought two hawk chicks to me. He found them after a tree was felled. Guess he thought I might be able to help them. The chicks were maybe a few weeks from 1st flight. I put them in an empty rabbit cage with some water and hurried to the local library to read up on their care. Main thing was to keep them fed.
My paternal grandmother lived on the same property as my family. One day when I was gone to school, she opened the door and let them out. I was upset. She told me a wild animal ought not be in a cage. They were weeks away from flight so likely became a meal for something. I do not get the logic of my grandma nor the releasing of the orcas entirely. Is it better dead than in a cage?

No being cruel is all the people living in small apartments with large dogs. And of course these are all "emotional support" animals.

 

[LBDave]

BTW - I have posted a number of times here on MFK in years past regarding BSFL meal, maybe some day if/when the search feature here works properly again I'll find some of those past comments. But I wouldn't hold your breath. lol

Yeah, the search feature was much better back in the day. And you could select which member posted on what you are looking for.

 

[skjl47]

No being cruel is all the people living in small apartments with large dogs. And of course these are all "emotional support" animals.

Hello; I live near an ever growing college. Was a sleepy small college back when I was a child. Now it has boomed. I went to college in the 60's. So am using such as my yard stick. I do not recall any fellow student having a dog with them at college. At home with mom & dad sure but not on campus.
Now it seems many, perhaps most, have a dog or few. Some such as my closest neighbor in a small rental house have up to three dogs. When her mom comes to visit, she brings adds two more dogs. So, four big golden retrievers and an old beagle. The rental has a small yard. The mom told me it is much larger than what they have in Pittsburg. So, not a small apartment. My yard is a few times bigger but, in my mind, not fit for more than one dog.

I wonder if the college allows dorm students to have dogs. I figure they might but do not know for sure. I see lots of students walking dogs on campus. If dogs are living in dorms, I can only flinchingly imagine the smell & noise. The smell of a dorm back in the 60's with only men was bad enough (men & women were segregated back then. Men & women in separate dorms). No comment on how a women's dorm may have smelled as I was not allowed in back then.

I did have a job at a walk in movie theater in the early 60's. Among my duties was cleaning up the toilets. The women's toilet was always much nastier than the men's. By far. No idea as to the why.

Anyway????

 

[RD.]

I knew that it was only a matter of time before someone mentioned dogs…….

 

[jjohnwm]

Dogs?

Did someone say...dogs???

And, I note with quiet glee...it wasn't me.

But, as long as we're on the topic...does anyone where I can source some Antarctic Krillhound pups?

 

[HUKIT]

No being cruel is all the people living in small apartments with large dogs. And of course these are all "emotional support" animals.

It’s pretty offensive and narrow minded to make a blank statement such as that. I deployed 3 times with the 10th mountain to Afghanistan and I have an emotional support dog Riggs, my German Shepherd. Count yourself lucky that you don’t have the need for one.