Marine ingredients connect fisheries, seafood processing, aquaculture and international feed trade. Fish oil and salmon oil can return valuable lipids from responsibly managed whole-fish or processing by-product streams to productive use, while fishmeal and salmon meal retain protein and minerals that might otherwise be underused.
Current market information makes procurement discipline especially relevant. FAO reported that global fishmeal and fish-oil supplies in the first half of 2026 were tighter than at any point since the 2023 El Niño disruption. That is market context rather than a product guarantee or price forecast: the suitability and availability of any offered lot still depend on its source, specification, documentation, location and delivery window.
The 2026 signal is tighter availability
FAO GLOBEFISH reported in May 2026 that first-half global supplies were at their tightest since the 2023 disruption. Its preceding March analysis linked the expected reduction partly to a lower quota in Peru’s North-Centre region, with fish oil particularly exposed.
The comparison with 2025 shows why oil availability cannot be inferred from raw-material tonnage alone. FAO estimated that raw material for reduction increased by 14% year on year in the first half of 2025, yet lower oil yields in Peru limited the corresponding growth in fish-oil supply.
For a buyer, the responsible response is earlier planning and clearer qualification—not an assumption about future prices. Fisheries, yields, inventory, freight and destination requirements can move independently.
Availability does not define the product
Fish oil is not one uniform commodity profile. Species, whole-fish or by-product origin, processing, antioxidant system, storage and time in transit can influence the analytical and handling characteristics of the material offered.
The same applies to salmon oil. Its marine origin and naturally reddish appearance do not establish a complete specification, and a representative website profile should not be treated as a guarantee for every source or lot.
- Confirm the intended species, application and destination market.
- Agree the applicable limits for free fatty acids, peroxide value, moisture and impurities, and other required parameters.
- Identify the antioxidant system and any customer-specific restrictions.
- Use the current source specification and lot Certificate of Analysis for the commercial decision.
Traceability begins with the raw-material pathway
MarinTrust Version 3 distinguishes between whole-fish and by-product raw-material assessments. For wild-caught whole fish, the assessed fishery is defined at minimum by species, fishing area and fishing gear. For by-products, the assessment identifies at minimum the species and fishing-vessel flag state, together with the evidence required by the applicable risk methodology.
That distinction matters for circularity. A by-product route can add value to material from human- or pet-food processing, but the word ‘by-product’ is not by itself evidence of responsible sourcing. The pathway still needs an identifiable source, an assessed risk basis and a traceable movement into the finished marine ingredient.
Version 3 raises the evidence level
The MarinTrust Factory Standard Version 3 became effective on 1 May 2024, and since 1 May 2025 all facility audits have been conducted against V3. The standard strengthens responsible-sourcing, environmental, social and traceability requirements while encouraging greater use of by-products.
V3 requires facilities to complete mass-balance information for marine ingredients and to perform a traceability test that follows raw material from intake to dispatched product. Its scope also includes vessel social-risk assessment for whole-fish supply and stronger collection of environmental and social data.
Certification is not a substitute for the buyer’s agreed technical specification, but it can provide structured evidence about the sourcing and production system behind the material. The certificate scope and current validity should be checked rather than inferred from a general company statement.
Build the enquiry around decisions that can be verified
A useful enquiry gives the technical and commercial teams enough information to screen a suitable profile before discussing a firm shipment. It also separates requirements that are essential from preferences that may allow a qualified alternative.
Where responsible-sourcing certification or chain-of-custody evidence is required, this should be stated at the beginning. MarinTrust reports that nearly half of global fishmeal and fish-oil production is aligned with its programme, but alignment across the wider market does not mean every facility, species, lot or trading chain carries the same status.
- Product and grade, intended species, application and destination
- Required analytical limits and requested lot evidence
- Whole-fish or by-product preference and permitted origins
- Required certification scheme, scope and chain-of-custody status
- Packaging, storage, volume, delivery point and delivery window
- Acceptable alternatives if the first profile is unavailable