Andfjord Salmon, Skretting Norway and Zooca® (Calanus AS) have signed a letter of intent that facilitates the provision of a specifically designed salmon feed for Andfjord Salmon and long-term cooperation to increase the utilization of Calanus finmarchicus (Calanus) in salmon feed. Andfjord Salmon is the first salmon farmer in the world that utilizes a commercially developed feed that contains Calanus.
“Our ambition is to develop the world’s most fish-friendly and sustainable aquaculture facility of its kind. Having our own specially designed feed, with unique ingredients from a local supplier, is another important building block towards realizing this ambition,” said Martin Rasmussen, CEO of Andfjord Salmon, who released the first smolt on June 25. “The fish have settled quickly and have already demonstrated a healthy appetite, which continues to improve daily. Fish mortality rate is extremely low, so it has been a promising start.”
In February this year, Andfjord Salmon entered into a strategic feed supply agreement with Skretting. Under this agreement, Skretting has developed a feed that is specifically tailored to Andfjord Salmon’s flow-through technology to ensure optimal water quality, fish welfare and growth conditions in the land-based pool. This will also ensure the production of premium quality salmon.
The feed has been named “Calanus® Plus by Andfjord Salmon”. It consists of feed ingredients that have a proven track record from land-based salmon farming. However, the feed composition is specifically tailored to Andfjord Salmon’s flow-through system at Andøya. Calanus® Plus by Andfjord Salmon is the first salmon feed that utilizes Calanus finmarchicus as a raw material ingredient. The feed also contains algae oil as an alternative to marine fish oil.
“Calanus finmarchicus is nature's own ‘starter’ feed. It is a natural prey that is biologically adapted to provide optimal nutrition for fish. Adding Zooca® hydrolysate made from Calanus finmarchicus to the feed will be very useful to stimulate the fish's appetite in the transition to seawater. We look forward to cooperating with Zooca® (Calanus AS) and Andfjord Salmon to realize the vast untapped potential that Calanus finmarchicus represents,” said Mads Martinsen, director of Product Development and Sustainability at Skretting.
Local supplier
Supplying the Zooca® hydrolysate to Skretting is Zooca® (Calanus AS), which processes Calanus finmarchicus at its facility at Sortland in Vesterålen, close to Andfjord Salmon’s site at Kvalnes. During the past 20 years, the company has researched, studied and developed technology to sustainably harvest and process the tiny zooplankton. An innovative, new marine resource that has shown numerous health benefits for people and animals. It is one of the most numerous animal species on the planet, with an annual reproduction of approximately 300 million tonnes, and it is Norway's largest harvestable and renewable marine resource. Today, the company only harvests approximately 0.0005% of the total volume annually.
“By sustainably harnessing high-performing, high-quality nutrients from Calanus finmarchicus, there is a large potential to improve long-term human health and ensure superior animal nutrition around the globe. We are delighted to secure this commercial breakthrough within salmon feed together with Andfjord Salmon and Skretting,” said Hogne Abrahamsen, international account director at Zooca.
“By utilizing a locally harvested raw material, produced at a local production plant, and using the entire animal, we can make our feed even more sustainable and our salmon even more healthy. We look forward to using Calanus® Plus by Andfjord Salmon at our Kvalnes site and to the long-term cooperation with Skretting and Zooca,” added Rasmussen.
