BioMar reports lowest ever dependency on forage fish
Aquafeed giant BioMar has reduced its dependence on wild caught fish to its lowest level ever, according to the company’s latest sustainability report.
BioMar’s Forage Fish Dependency Ratio (FFDR) now stands at an all-time low of 0.37. The company said this milestone has been reached through the innovative use of alternative ingredients and trimmings, which now represent 55% of the total marine ingredients.
One of the criticisms levelled at the global aquaculture sector is that it places too much pressure on wild fish stocks, in order to feed carnivorous fish like salmon. Reducing the FFDR is a major step towards sustainability for the industry.
However, BioMar warns, the ever-changing market conditions for raw materials might make it challenging to sustain this position over time.
“We have had an impressive sustainability year” said Carlos Diaz, CEO, BioMar Group director.
“Proving that being sustainable is not only the right thing to do but also makes good business sense. Our early investment in innovation and raw material development is paying off, and we will likely see an escalation in the production of alternative materials in the coming years.”
Last year, BioMar’s innovation pipeline assessed a record number of alternative raw materials and almost a million tons of aquafeed containing microalgae were produced. This represents around 70% of BioMar’s total aquafeed volume.
BioMar said the commitment to reducing its total feed carbon footprint by one-third by 2030 is on track.
The total feed carbon footprint has reduced by 14.4% from its 2020 baseline. This is a relative target that uses life cycle assessment to measure carbon emissions per tonne of feed produced.
Regarding absolute emissions reduction, BioMar was the first aquafeed company to sign up for the SBTi (Science Based Targets Inititiative) 1.5°C trajectory.
“We continue to deliver good results on our SBTi carbon reduction targets. This year we have achieved a 20.6% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions and a 23.6% reduction in Scope 3 emissions from the baselines,” said Vidar Gundersen, Global Sustainability Director at the BioMar Group.
BioMar also the “People” element in its sustainability drive has significantly improved in several internal and external social areas.
New human rights policies were implemented in parental leave, health and safety, and supply chain compliance and the target for 2030 of 100% Living Wage reached 99.9% this year.
BioMar is now almost halfway towards achieving all its 2030 Sustainability Ambitions, demonstrating strong progress across its climate action, circular economy, and social impact targets.
Carlos Diaz concluded: “These results are the outcome of strong collaboration with our partners and a clear focus on delivering long-term value through responsible innovation.”
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