Skretting to test sustainability of salmon
Commercial salmon farming can be a net fish protein producer according to recent research findings from CAC in Norway. CAC is a large-scale research station where all harvested salmon are sent for commercial sale. The facility is owned by Marine Harvest, Skretting and AKVA group.
at CAC – with 800,000 salmon – is to fully document the sustainable production of
salmon. “The trials at CAC are a milestone,” says Knut Nesse, Managing Director
of Skretting Salmon Feed. “This is the first time we can refer to large-scale
trials on fish over an entire generation, where we gain more fish protein in the
form of salmon than we use to produce the fish feed.
In the trial, fish
are divided into three groups, which are fed separate diets. One of the groups
has been fed on feed that is almost identical to Skretting’s normal diet, but
with a slightly higher vegetable oil content. The other two groups have been
given feed where even more of the marine protein raw materials have been
replaced with vegetable raw materials. It is these two groups that are yielding
more fish protein than has been used in production of the
feed.
Normal levels of omega-3 fatty
acids
Preliminary figures, from the pens that have been harvested,
show that the feed that contains fewest marine resources gives just under 1.2 kg
top quality fish protein in the form of salmon per kilogram fish protein used in
the feed. Control of the fatty acid levels has been one element of the trials
and findings have been positive. The fish measurements that have been taken so
far show normal levels of omega-3 fatty acids, including the long chain omega-3
fatty acids EPA and DHA.
Final figures will be ready nearer to Christmas
when the trial is concluded.
Related
website:
Skretting
Related folder:
Dossier AllAbout Aquafeed
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