Salmon farmers adopt ‘trusted’ algae feed

MORE than 350,000 tonnes of aquafeed containing an algae based protein source have been sold to salmon farmers over the past two years, the North Atlantic Seafood Forum in Bergen heard last month.

AlgaPrime DHA, made by Netherlands based Corbion, is being sold to Norwegian salmon farmers in feeds formulated by BioMar.

Developed to reduce dependency on marine fisheries and enhance the nutritional value of seafood, AlgaPrime DHA is a native, whole algae ingredient that contains approximately three times the level of DHA of fish oil, said Corbion.

It enables farmers to reduce fishin, fish-out ratios while improving omega-3 levels in the feed.

The company acquired the feed’s inventor, TerraVia, in 2017, and last year it bought Brazil based Bunge’s stake in the joint venture for a reported US $22.5 million (£17 million).

Corbion’s algae operations are based in San Francisco, and the company operates pilot facilities in California as well. Bunge’s factory is in Brazil. Salmon brands that include AlgaPrime DHA are now available in US, UK and EU markets, said Corbion. The product was awarded the 2017 Global Aquaculture Innovation Award by the GAA.