ON THE PRODUCTION AND NUTRITIVE VALUE OF FISH MEAL FROM SILVER BELLY (LEIOGNATHUS SPP.) LANDINGS AT RAMESWARAM

Abstract

Silver belly (Leiognathus Spp.) forms a major fishery in recent
years in the Rameswaram island but fetches for the fishermen very
low prices ranging from Rs. 0.03 to 0.12/Kg. only, there being
practically no demand for the fish. The possibilities of utilizing this
cheap fish in the round for large scale production of fish meal are
discussed and the processing method nescribed. During the glut
season the cost of production. of Silver belly fish meal works out to
competitive prices of Rs. 500 to Rs. 700/tonne. The silver belly fish
meal is of high quality with good protein content averaging 57.71%
in commercial samples and 61.90% ie laboratory samples and with a
high pepsin digestability of 90.0% to 92.5%. The essential amino
acid composition of the Silver belly fish meal comp.:tres very favourably
with other round fish meals, with high contents of lysine,
leucine, arginine, isoleucine, methionine, phenyl alanine, threonine
and valine. Since there is good demand for fish meal as poultry and
and cattle food both in the internal and external markets, there is
good scope for large scale production and sale of fish meal.