Rainbow trout

Rainbow trout feed is traceable and requirements are in place for responsible ingredient sourcing, however, it is a net consumer of protein.

Rainbow trout are fed on a commercial, pelleted feed that comprises fishmeal, fish oil and vegetable proteins and oils. The ingredients are thought to be traceable and the feed production company requires wild capture proteins and oils to come from certified sources (Marine Stewardship Council and MarinTrust). Although rainbow trout are good feed convertors, they still require more wild fish protein than they produce, making them a net consumer of protein.

Any soy products used also meet the requirements of the European Compound Feed Manufacturers’ Federation (FEFAC) Soy Sourcing Guidelines.

Rainbow trout farmed in freshwater ponds and raceways have a low level of environmental impact.

Farming rainbow trout in freshwater ponds and raceways does not deplete local freshwater supplies. While there is a lack of information on the environmental impacts of chemical usage in freshwater ponds, this is thought to be effectively regulated and is covered by both the Quality Trout UK Standard and the Code of Good Practice, as well as being regulated by CEFAS (England and Wales) and SEPA (Scotland). Trout farms also can discharge directly into the environment but there is no evidence of a country or region level negative impact resulting from this discharge, and it is effectively mitigated by regulation and standards.

There is no evidence of parasitic transfer to wild species from this system. Disease outbreaks do happen but there is no evidence to suggest that these outbreaks threaten the viability of the region. There is also a risk of escapes but this is thought to happen infrequently in freshwater ponds and raceways. Rainbow trout juveniles are hatchery based.

However, habitat alteration can occur for trout farms and there is a lack of protection. Predators at a trout farm may also be lethally controlled.

Quality Trout UK criteria ensure that there are practices to ensure both fish welfare and humane slaughter.

A Veterinary Health Plan is required which covers transport and staff are required to be trained in welfare practices.

This assessment scores well for management measures but would benefit from 3rd party certification.

Aquaculture policy in the UK is a devolved matter, with the separate administrations of Wales, England, Northern Ireland and Scotland responsible for its collective oversight. Aquaculture in England is not yet included in the River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) and MCS would like to see this included in the next RBMPs (produced every 7 years).

In the UK, there is regulatory framework in place to address the environmental impacts of aquaculture. This includes the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC and the Birds Directive 2009/147/EC, which form the cornerstones of the EU’s nature conservation policy and protect valuable habitats and species. There is also regulation in place to cover the use of land and water resources, discharges including effluents and their impacts, biosecurity and disease management. These regulations are thought to be mostly effective, however there is a lack of standard criteria on habitat protections.