Is it permissible to feed fish with swine blood meal?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Blood can be collected during the slaughter of various livestock species (cattle, pigs, chickens, etc.) under a wide range of conditions. It is usually dried and made into blood meal so that it can be handled and incorporated into rations more easily. It has been shown to be a satisfactory replacement for other protein sources in various animal production diets for dairy cattle, beef cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, various fish species and silkworms. Blood meal is processed via various methods such as drum drying, spray drying and ring and flash drying. Blood meal is a good quality ingredient for fish and has been tested successfully in many fish species. Spray-dried blood meal can be used as a binder in fish feeds.

In gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio) (Yang et al., 2004), African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) (Goda et al., 2007) and tilapia, spray-dried blood meal can replace 50 to 75 % of the fish meal, and in rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss)up to 100 % (Watanabe et al., 1998; Médale et al., 2009).[1]

According to Shariah, blood is impure. It is not permissible to feed fish with blood meal.[2]

Mufti Ismail Desai,
Darul Iftaa
Durban, South Africa

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.