A recent discovery in the aquaculture industry may soon make camelina oil a highly sought alternative for fish feed.

Fish farms have been exploring crop-based oilseeds like soybeans and canola as a substitute to fish oil. Researchers have found that camelina is the best match to the fatty acid composition required.

Stefanie Hixson, post-doctoral fellow at the department of chemistry and biology at Ryerson University, explored the connection between fish oil and camelina oil in a $6.1-million project supported by Genome Atlantic, the Atlantic Canada Opportunity Agency and the Atlantic Innovation Fund.

The four-year project was the first of its kind and focused on evaluating camelina oil as an ingredient for fish feed. Results of the project have been used to apply for CFIA approval for camelina in fish rations.

“I definitely see this being approved by CFIA and I also see interest from seed companies. Some of the large, big players in the industry are interested in using camelina, they are just waiting for the final OK from CFIA,” said Hixson.

“Camelina oil comes close to matching fish oil but it is missing two key fatty acids, which are ETA and DHA. Even replacing a majority of the fish oil with camelina oil, you will still need to put a little bit of fish meal and fish oil in the diet,” she said.

Source: Manitoba Co-operator. Read the full article here.