Fish meal is essentially a by product fisheries and aquaculture. Clearly aquaculture cannot produce enough for itself so ocean bycatch and byproduct are important. Right now this byproduct is cheap but if these sources prove unsustainable the cost of feed for LMB and BG would be destined to rise considerably to reflect supply of this crucial ingredient.
Soybean meal has already been used successfully in the production of tilapia in China. So it has promise. But tilapia are herbivores to begin with and for this to have a major impact for carnivore feed will likely require genetic modification of soybeans, IMHO. This is a worthwhile effort, probably, as soybeans that are better for LMB will like be more nutritious for humans also.
