Worms to replace 'trash fish' feed?

[Ken Westervelt]

Tuna, salmon, eel, and other carnivorous fish are fed ground-up fish meal. Many think this is an unsustainable practice. Every pound of meat-eating fish requires between two and twenty pounds of fish meal. This continues the drain on our ocean life. Alternatives can and should be looked into.

One protein source is readily available, and currently being used in many areas around the world. Composting earthworms have potential as a substitute. These worms feed on vegetable scraps, wood, and other organic material. In return, they produce a rich compost. Some varieties reproduce at a rate of up to eightfold per year.

Given a large enough worm stock to start with and a steady food supply, worms ought to be a good supplement or possibly an outright substitution for fish meal. Does anyone have experience with this?

[M Cosmo]

The folks at Olomana Gardens have an extensive vermicost permaculture Garden. You get a lot of information from their video. I will post a review in the review forum. -Alais they state that even with the huge operation they have the worms sell for $40 per pound vs 5 for fish. Here we pay $36 a pound. I truly believe from we learned at New Alchemy that the more diverse the diet the more balanced the whole system. Still sounds like the best feeding option.

[TCLynx]

Much research has actually been done on this with both worms and BSF larva. Keep in mind that these two fish feed supplements are rather high in fat and they could cause liver problems for certain types of fish if the worms or larva are the only feed given. So research the type of fish and the amount of fat they should have, otherwise one might need to render the worms or BSF larva to remove fat before using the rest as fish meal substitute.