The largest global land-based aquaculture company, Atlantic Sapphire ASA has announced a partnership with Skretting to include Veramaris ASC-MSC certified sustainable algal oil in its aquafeed from the fourth quarter of 2021. This move will reduce the fish oil content in its salmon feed by nearly 25 percent and accelerate the process of eliminating marine-derived feed ingredients by 2025.
Atlantic Sapphire raises salmon on land in the United States using specialised Bluehouse farming technology, where the fish are raised sustainably in conditions that optimise fish welfare, the health of people and the planet.
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. 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.
"We will continue to work with Skretting on other novel ingredients to help us minimise our footprint as we move towards our mission to be the healthiest and most sustainable animal protein producer in the world," Andreassen said.
In December 2021, aquafeed manufacturer 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 both financial commitments and sharing of knowledge from and between the two organisations.
Therese Log Bergjord, CEO of Skretting said: "We are pleased to be working together with Atlantic Sapphire to reach ambitious objectives. We have pioneered R&D to reduce marine ingredients in feed for over a decade; now, combined with our expertise in the highest quality feeds for land-based aquaculture we have formulated a specific diet for Atlantic Sapphire containing Veramaris algal oil. Together, we are using technology, innovation and teamwork to bring local, delicious and sustainable salmon to the US market."
Veramaris' algal oil, developed as a sustainable source of both EPA & DHA Omega-3, 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 percent) available on the market and Veramaris is the first microalgae producer to have achieved joint ASC-MSC certification. Veramaris algal oil was introduced into Skretting's feed for Atlantic Sapphire feed starting in Q4 of 2021.
Karim Kurmaly, Veramaris CEO said: "This is a partnership bringing together three innovative companies playing their part to bring sustainable salmon to the USA, the biggest consumption market in the world.
"We are excited to be part of Atlantic Sapphire's journey. It signals the direction the aquaculture industry is taking to become more sustainable while delivering on the documented value of salmon as part of a healthy and balanced diet. We are committed to working with partners along the value chain to bring transparent and sustainable solutions to the industry that results in healthy fish, healthy food and healthy oceans".
