Canadian salmon farmer to test algal oil in its feed

Responsible Seafood Advocate

Cermaq Canada to test a new salmon feed incorporating algal oil, aiming to reduce reliance on marine fish oils

algal oil
Cermaq Canada is testing a new type of salmon feed from Cargill that includes Veramaris algal oil at several of its farms in British Columbia. Photo credit: Cermaq Canada

Cermaq Canada is testing a new type of salmon feed from Cargill that includes Veramaris algal oil at several of its farms in British Columbia. This new feed uses algal oil to reduce the use of oils from marine fish in feeding salmon.

“Testing Veramaris algal oil in our salmon feed is a significant step towards supporting our fish health, product quality and sustainability goals while reducing our dependence on marine resources,” said German Campos from Cermaq Canada. “As partners in innovation, the move is the latest benefit of our collaboration with Cargill’s Aqua Nutrition business.”

Veramaris, an algal oil supplier based in Delft, Netherlands, recently completed a rigorous three-year process with Canadian regulators and obtained its first market authorization in March 2024. This regulatory approval represents a significant step forward for Canadian aquaculture, affirming the safety and compliance of Veramaris’ ASC-MSC-certified algal oil, which is rich in Omega-3 EPA and DHA, essential nutrients for the health of farm-raised salmon and consumers of the resulting seafood.

“By leveraging the experience of the use of Veramaris algal oil across Cermaq, we look forward to conducting the sea trials and learning more about how we can incorporate this exciting alternative to marine fish oils into our nutritional strategies,” said David Kiemele, Managing Director at Cermaq Canada. “Implementing these innovative solutions demonstrates how quickly the aquaculture industry in Canada can move to adopt new techniques. Our company is proud to be one of the first movers in this space in Canada.”

The feeding period will begin in May and focus on introducing the new feed to salmon close to harvest size.

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