First insect-fed salmon launched

This major step towards aquaculture sustainability will accelerate the diversion from fish meal which places a heavy burden on marine ecosystems. They call it the Friendly Salmon.

“This is a proud moment for Protix and we call it the Blue Shift,” said Protix CEO Kees Aarts. “We started in 2009 with the idea to contribute to a sustainable food system and the Friendly Salmon presented today is a real example of that. Natural ingredients, no pressure on marine resources and healthy for the fish, the planet and ourselves.”

A list of the major insect protein companies

Protix has worked with industry leading partners in Norway, like the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). The collaboration called Aquafly had as goal to develop a unique and sustainable feed for salmon derived from Protix’s ProteinX™ ingredient. The Friendly Salmon is a result of that project.

The non-sustainable fishmeal made from wild catch fish has been completely replaced during the growth phases in fresh and salt water until they are ready to eat. The fish grew well and the health was great throughout the growth stages. “This announcement is the result of relentless work alongside our partners,” said Protix CCO Tarique Arsiwalla. “We’re proud to have developed the quality insect ingredients required for a demanding and ‘picky’ fish species like the Atlantic salmon. We look forward to bringing this natural fish feed ingredient to our customers and partners.”