Feeding fish on beer waste

Three Colorado entrepreneurs are investing hundreds of thousands of dollars
to convert the wastewater from New Belgium’s brewing operations into a
high-protein ingredient to feed farm-raised fish.

The trio anticipates on
the booming business of fish farming. Farm-raised species such as salmon and
tilapia rely on other fish such as anchovies and menhaden, which are ground into
fish meal. Demand for these is rising but supply is tight due to limited wild
catch.

“We can’t support the growth of the aquaculture business using
fish to feed fish,” said Randy Swenson, CEO of Oberon FMR Inc. “The business
we’re in is fish meal replacement.”

Oberon is teamed with the Colorado
School of Mines and New Belgium to brew up its “fish meal replacement” at a
pilot production plant at New Belgium in Fort Collins.

Use of
bacteria
The pilot facility will feed and convert the protein-laden
bacteria already swarming in New Belgium’s brewing wastewater. The goal is to
change those bacteria into a protein-rich biomass, which then will be dried into
granules and added to fish feed, reducing the need for fish meal in the
feed.

If
successful the process could also be used in other protein rich waste streams
and be exported to countries in need of alternatives to fish-based ingredients
in aquafeed. A subsidised pilot has been set up in Bangladesh, a key aquaculture
country.

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