Atlantic Sapphire takes step towards marine-free feed

Land-based salmon farmer Atlantic Sapphire has signed a deal with feed giant Skretting and algal oil specialist Veramaris, which will replace the fish oil content in its feed by 25%. The fish oil will be replaced by Veramaris’ algal oil.

The move is a step towards Atlantic Sapphire’s ambition to phase out marine ingredients in its aquafeed by 2025.

The algal oil from Veramaris is ASC-MSC certified. Developed as a sustainable source of both EPA & DHA Omega-3, it is used to supplement or replace fish oil across the aquaculture value chain from feed producer to retailer. The oil has the highest potency (>60%) available on the market, the company says.

Atlantic Sapphire rears salmon in its RAS (recirculating aquaculture systems) “Bluehouse” facility in Florida – its original RAS farm in Denmark was destroyed by a fire last year.

On the feed deal, Atlantic Sapphire CEO Johan Andreassen said: “This partnership is great news for retailers looking to expand the options available on their shelves and for seafood consumers who want to eat a delicious, healthy and sustainable protein. To nourish both people and planet, we raise salmon on land in the United States meaning we have no impact on coastal areas and minimize the carbon footprint associated with air freight.

“Having a sustainable EPA & DHA alternative for our feed is critical in helping us achieve our ambition of having zero impact on the oceans, and working with Skretting and Veramaris, we believe we have the right partners to get there. Simultaneously, we will continue to work with Skretting on other novel ingredients to help us minimize our footprint as we move towards our mission to be the healthiest and most sustainable animal protein producer in the world.”

In December 2021, Skretting announced its intent to build a new feed facility close to Atlantic Sapphire’s Bluehouse in Florida to lower the cost and footprint of the feed. The long-term feed agreement commits both parties to a close cooperation on R&D and development of Bluehouse feeds for the future, through financial commitments and sharing of knowledge from and between the two organisations.