Contact
Davíð Gíslason
Project Manager
davidg@matis.is
The project development of microalgae feed for fish farming, which was a joint project between VAXA and Matís and funded for two years by the Technology Development Fund, has now been completed.
The aim of the project was to develop VAXA products as ingredients for fish feed in aquaculture. Several experiments were carried out with the aim of examining the usefulness of Nannochloropsis microalgae as an ingredient in fish feed. In these experiments, 1. The shelf life of fresh algae was examined, 2. How can the cell wall of the algae be weakened so that it becomes digestible for fish but otherwise it is indigestible, 3. The effect of fish feed with algae oil on the growth and salmon lice infection of salmon fry, 4. Growth and absorption of fatty acids and Omega 3 in salmon fingerlings fed a diet with algal oil. 5. Calculator for the absorption of Omega 3 in salmon fry. The results of the experiments were positive in many respects and greatly improved VAXA's knowledge of the possibilities of using Nannochloropsis algae or products derived from it such as algae oil in fish feed.
VAXA uses the knowledge gained in the project to develop its products for use in salmon feed. Although Omega 3 fatty acids are present in various foods (mainly fish), salmon is considered one of the best sources of these fatty acids. The fish farming industry has been looking for ways to reduce their use of fishmeal and fish oil for salmon feed, which has caused Omega 3 levels in farmed salmon to drop. In this research project, for the first time, sustainable photosynthetic algae have been successfully used for the production of Omega 3 for salmon feed. The results of the project demonstrate the feasibility of this approach for the production of Omega 3 rich salmon feed. The good results of the project will help VAXA to market the algae oil from its production as an alternative Omega 3 rich ingredient for salmon feed instead of fishmeal and fish oil in the salmon feed of the future.
The report is closed.