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Low quality feeds are an impediment to sustainable fish farming in East Africa. Low quality feeds affect fish growth, pollute the aquatic ecosystem, escalate conflicts among competing water resource users, and affect enterprise sustainability. We investigated the physical and nutrient attributes, and the aflatoxin levels of selected fish feeds in E. Africa. The actual crude protein and crude lipid of the feeds deviated from the package quoted values by −20 to 7% and −5.5 to 9.6%, respectively. All feeds were inadequate in essential minerals, and their aflatoxin levels were low (range: 8.71 ± 0.52 to 71.90 ± 0.59 µg/kg). We highlight the potential effects of using low-quality feeds on the fed fish, aquatic ecosystem, and aquaculture sustainability in East Africa. To ensure a healthy aquatic environment with reduced resource-use conflicts and sustainable fish farming, ambitious policy reviews are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fishmeal and oils used for feed formulation contain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that are easily oxidized, and affect farmed fish. In this study, the effects of season (dry or wet), drying methods (i.e., artisanal: bare ground, rock surface, meshes laid on the ground or raised racks or adopted), as well as storage time on Rastrineobola argentea used for fishmeal in East Africa were examined. Lipid oxidation and proximate composition stability were determined at 30-day intervals over a period of 90 days. Lipid oxidation stability was monitored by determining free fatty acids (FFA), peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARs). Changes in proximate composition were based on moisture, ash, crude protein (CP), crude fat (EE), and gross energy (GE). The relationships among lipid oxidation and proximate composition parameters were also explored. Considerable oxidative rancidity reflected by significantly high levels of FFA, PV, and TBARs in dried R. argentea was recorded in the wet than in the dry season. Drying of R. argentea on bare ground and meshes laid on the ground led to higher lipid oxidation than drying on raised racks. Lipid oxidation was also significantly higher in salted and indirectly dried R. argentea than in the unsalted and directly dried samples. Dry matter tended to decrease with storage time, as ash was high in salted samples and those dried on bare ground. There was a general decrease in EE content with storage time that coincided with peroxidation. However, CP and GE were less affected by season, processing methods and storage time. Drying R. argentea on raised racks was the best among the processing method investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]