Farmed Atlantic salmon can act as a net producer of edible omega-3 fatty acids when fed diets containing marine ingredients derived from fishery by-products, according to a new study published in Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture.
The research, led by Wesley Malcorps of Blue Food Performance and the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture, examined how efficiently aquaculture converts marine resources into essential nutrients such as EPA and DHA.
Using a new assessment framework and modelling tool, the researchers found that Atlantic salmon farmed in the Faroe Islands and tilapia farmed in China could produce more edible omega-3 than is contained in the marine ingredients used in their feed.
The study argues that traditional Fish In: Fish Out (FIFO) metrics, which measure how much wild fish is required to produce farmed fish, should be updated to better reflect nutrient retention and the increasing use of fishery by-products in aquafeeds.
According to the authors, the findings highlight how feed formulations can improve the efficiency of marine resource use while supporting the supply of essential nutrients for human consumption.