Salmon farming relies on a diverse array of feed additives, each selected to optimize fish health, growth, product quality, and sustainability.

The most **common additives** in salmon feed are fishmeal and fish oil, both derived from wild-caught fish and valued for their high-quality protein and essential omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), which are crucial for salmon growth and confer health benefits to human consumers .

However, the use of these marine-derived ingredients raises significant sustainability concerns, as their production contributes to overfishing and ecological disruption in marine environments .

To address these concerns, the industry is increasingly incorporating **plant-based proteins** such as soy, wheat gluten, and corn gluten meal into salmon feed.

These ingredients help reduce reliance on wild fish stocks and improve the sustainability profile of farmed salmon, though they may lack certain essential amino acids and omega-3 fatty acids found in fishmeal and fish oil .

**Vegetable oils** are also used as cost-effective alternatives to fish oil, but their inclusion can dilute the omega-3 content of farmed salmon, potentially diminishing some of the health benefits for consumers .

**Vitamins and minerals** are routinely added to ensure the nutritional adequacy of the feed, supporting metabolic processes, growth, immune function, and overall fish health .

**Antioxidants** such as tocopherols are included to prevent the oxidation of fats in the feed, thereby maintaining feed quality and extending shelf life .

**Coloring agents**, most notably astaxanthin, are commonly added to impart the characteristic pink color to salmon flesh that consumers expect; astaxanthin can be derived from natural sources like algae or produced synthetically and also provides antioxidant benefits .

**Antibiotics and antiparasitics** are sometimes used to control disease outbreaks and manage parasites such as sea lice, which are prevalent in high-density aquaculture environments .

While these additives are effective for disease prevention and treatment, their use is increasingly scrutinized due to concerns about antibiotic resistance, chemical residues in fish, and environmental impacts .

Among **uncommon or emerging additives**, **insect meal**—derived from sources such as mealworms or black soldier fly larvae—is gaining traction as a sustainable, high-protein alternative to fishmeal.

Insect-based proteins offer a lower environmental footprint and can enhance growth rates and feed efficiency in salmon .

**Seaweed and kelp** are also being explored, particularly in integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) systems, where they absorb excess nutrients from the water, improve water quality, and provide additional vitamins and trace minerals .

**Collagen and gelatin** extracted from fish processing by-products are under investigation for their potential to improve nutrition and reduce waste in aquaculture feeds .

**Probiotics and prebiotics** are sometimes included to promote gut health, enhance nutrient absorption, and boost immune responses in farmed salmon .

The **purposes** of these additives are multifaceted.

**Nutritional enhancement** is a primary goal, ensuring that farmed salmon receive all essential nutrients for optimal growth, health, and disease resistance .

**Sustainability** is another key driver, with plant-based proteins, insect meal, and the use of fish by-products all aimed at reducing the ecological impact of salmon farming and conserving wild fish populations .

**Health improvement** is addressed through the inclusion of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, probiotics, and prebiotics, which support immune function, metabolic health, and disease resistance .

**Waste reduction and resource efficiency** are achieved by utilizing fish processing by-products and incorporating ingredients like seaweed that help mitigate nutrient pollution .

However, the use of these additives is not without **health concerns**.

**Contaminants** such as heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (e.g., PCBs, dioxins) can be present in fishmeal and fish oil, accumulating in farmed salmon and posing potential health risks to consumers .

The use of **antibiotics** raises the specter of antibiotic resistance, which is a significant public health threat, and may also result in antibiotic residues in fish products .

**Antiparasitic chemicals** like emamectin benzoate (SLICE) are losing effectiveness due to resistance, leading to increased use of alternative treatments and raising concerns about environmental and health impacts .

**Nutritional variability** is another issue: the replacement of fish oil with vegetable oils can reduce the omega-3 content of farmed salmon, potentially diminishing the health benefits for consumers .

**Allergens** from plant-based additives such as soy or wheat may also be present, affecting sensitive individuals .

The use of wild fish-derived additives continues to contribute to overfishing and ecological imbalance, threatening marine biodiversity .

**Regulatory standards and frameworks** governing the use of feed additives in salmon farming vary by region but are generally robust in major producing countries.

In the **European Union (EU)**, strict regulations are enforced on the use of additives in aquaculture feeds, with a focus on sustainability, food safety, and minimizing environmental impact .

The EU has also approved the use of insect proteins in animal feeds, reflecting a commitment to innovation and sustainability .

In **Canada**, the regulation of salmon feed additives is overseen by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and Health Canada.

All fish farms must implement sea lice management plans, with strict limits on lice per fish during critical periods, and are required to publicly report lice counts monthly .

The Canadian government is also working with industry to develop transition plans that include environmental sustainability metrics and the adoption of new technologies such as IMTA .

In **China**, government initiatives aim to reduce the use of low-value wild fish in aquaculture feeds by promoting compound feeds that incorporate more sustainable, land-based ingredients .

In the **United States**, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates feed additives used in aquaculture, requiring evidence of safety and efficacy before approval .

Proposed legislation in states like Maine seeks to further tighten regulations on aquaculture practices, including feed additive management, to protect marine environments .

**Regional differences** in feed additive practices are shaped by local regulations, resource availability, and market demands.

For example, China is actively promoting compound feeds to reduce reliance on wild-caught fish, while Norway, Chile, and Canada are incorporating more alternative proteins and plant-based ingredients in response to sustainability concerns and regulatory pressures .

The EU maintains some of the strictest standards globally, particularly regarding the use of antibiotics and environmental protection .

In Canada, additional measures such as not renewing fish farm licenses in sensitive areas and supporting habitat restoration reflect a comprehensive approach to managing both farmed and wild salmon populations .

In summary, the landscape of salmon feed additives is evolving rapidly, driven by the dual imperatives of optimizing fish health and growth while minimizing environmental and public health risks.

Common additives include fishmeal, fish oil, plant proteins, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and coloring agents, while emerging ingredients such as insect meal, seaweed, and fish by-products are gaining prominence for their sustainability benefits.

Health concerns focus on contaminants, antibiotic resistance, nutritional variability, and ecological impacts.

Regulatory frameworks in major salmon-producing regions are increasingly stringent, emphasizing sustainability, transparency, and consumer safety.

As a nutritionist, understanding these dynamics is essential for guiding clients toward informed choices regarding farmed salmon products, balancing nutritional benefits with considerations of sustainability and food safety [dc60dd71_

Salmon farming relies on a diverse array of feed additives, each selected to optimize fish health, growth, product quality, and sustainability.

Salmon farming relies on a diverse array of feed additives, each selected to optimize fish health, growth, product quality, and sustainability.

The most **common additives** in salmon feed are fishmeal and fish oil, both derived from wild-caught fish and valued for their high-quality protein and essential omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), which are crucial for salmon growth and confer health benefits to human consumers .

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Anticipating obsolescence: The next step to enhancing the sustainability of aquaculture

With growing concerns about the environmental toll of single species fish farms, a research project has been looking at the feasibility of introducing a more sustainable and potentially more profitable method of fish farming, using three complementary species.

Much as native American people planted squash, maize and climbing beans together to benefit each other, (often called the "three sisters"), farming finned-fish, shellfish and seaweeds together could benefit each other and reduce any environmental effects of fish farming. Small scale integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA), as the system is called, has traditionally been used at a small domestic scale in Asia, providing the farmer with more than one product to sell or use.

The feasibility study conducted by Bangor University and published in Ecological Modelling has identified the locations around the Atlantic coast which would be most suitable for IMTA, based on farming salmon, and Oarweed, a type of kelp seaweed commonly found in temperate Atlantic coasts. The research considered the natural distribution of the three species, whether suitable locations clashed with busy shipping lanes or marine protected areas and whether there was close access to sizeable ports in order to reach markets.

The western coast of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland; Lough Swilly in County Donegal, Ireland, and the western coast of Brittany, northwest France were found to be the best locations to further develop IMTA based aquaculture.

As Conchúr Hughes of Bangor University's School of Ocean Sciences explained, "One of the problems with the type of single species aquaculture practiced in Europe is that excess food and feces can lead to deterioration of local ecology, while density can mean that aquaculture companies need to use antibiotics and other additives to maintain a healthy fish-stock.

"Mussels are filter feeders, they can be responsible for removing up to 54% of salmon waste materials from the , using it as energy to grow, while the oarweed removes soluble nutrients from the water column. Oarweed can then be farmed to use in a variety of products, from food supplements for human consumption or for fish farms, as a fertilizer or as an ingredient in pharmaceuticals.

"Each of these species complements the other and mitigates against problems."

IMTA-based aquaculture

Both salmon and mussels are important food sources in Europe, and while oarweed is not as yet, this is a sector that is expected to experience a rapid increase in demand in the coming years- and can provide an alternative sustainable source of fertilizer and other products.

Seaweed cultivation can also provide environmental benefits. The seaweed in the water acts as a buffer against as it approaches the shore, reducing the energy as it passes through the seaweed, much as trees act as a buffer against strong winds, which can help reduce erosion. It also elevates the pH and oxygenates the water.

More information: Conchúr Hughes et al, Habitat suitability modelling for an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system along Europe's Atlantic coast, Ecological Modelling (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2023.110459

Provided by Bangor University

Citation: Anticipating obsolescence: The next step to enhancing the sustainability of aquaculture (2023, September 27) retrieved 27 September 2023 from https://phys.org/news/2023-09-obsolescence-sustainability-aquaculture.html
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China Works to Get Wild-Caught Fish Out of its Aquaculture Feed

[By Zhang Chun]

A 2021 Chinese government initiative to stop aquaculture feed being made from only young or low-value fish and to instead start producing “compound feed” – mixed with ingredients harvested from the land – is opening up a greener future for the sector.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, in a series of trials last year, the sole use of low-value “feed-grade” fish as aquaculture feed was reduced by 77 percent, and by as much as 94 percent in farming of largemouth bass. Experts say the switch to compound feed could see overall use of feed-grade fish slashed by half for farming of certain species.

What is compound feed?

Compound feed normally contains a mixture of animal- and plant-based ingredients, and added nutrients such as vitamins. For aquaculture feeds containing fishmeal and fish oil, common additives include soy proteins, wheat gluten and corn gluten meal.

Feed-grade fish are those in a catch that are small, low in commercial value, or unsuitable for human consumption. They are sent to be processed into fishmeal and fish oil, or fed directly to farmed fish. But a significant proportion of feed-grade fish consists of juveniles of commercially important species. Once caught they can no longer grow into adult fish and breed, or be caught and sold on the market. Their removal damages ocean food chains and ecosystem stability.

The last decade and more has seen increased calls for China to tackle the use of feed-grade fish in aquaculture, but the current round of trials is the first organised by the Ministry of Agriculture. It focuses on species such as the yellow croaker, Japanese sea bass and largemouth bass, which tend to be fed more feed-grade fish. While those species don’t account for much of China’s fed aquaculture output, they do require much more protein than others to put on the same amount of weight. Compound feed cuts down on the use of fish by substituting vegetable alternatives, and is cheaper.

In the long term, sustained reductions in the use of fishmeal and fish oil in feed will be necessary to protect wild fisheries.

Aquaculture driving feed-grade fish catch

Fishers never used to set out to catch feed-grade fish; it was bycatch, with no economic value. Then in the 1980s, global aquaculture took off. “There was a lot of need for fishmeal and oil,” Rashid Sumalia, a fisheries researcher at the University of British Columbia, told China Dialogue. People started going out “purposely to catch them at distance, because there was a market”, he added.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO’s) 2020 global fisheries and aquaculture report, the use of fish for reduction to fishmeal and fish oil peaked in 1994 at 30 million tonnes, and stood at 18 million tonnes by 2018. Another 4 million tonnes were used elsewhere, including directly in feed for aquaculture, livestock and fur animals.

It wasn’t until the mid and late 1990s that aquaculture took off in China. The FAO’s 1998 fisheries and aquaculture report describes how rare it was for fish catches in Asia to go unused or be used as aquaculture feed. But in Asia, particularly in China and Vietnam, aquaculture has expanded rapidly and the region now accounts for almost 90 percent of global output. In China, output tripled between 1998 and 2020, to represent 60 percent of the global total.

Although many of the species farmed in China need little or no feed, fed fish and crustacean aquaculture accounts for half of output and requires millions of tonnes of feed-grade fish from Chinese waters alone. China does not currently have statistics on its feed-grade fish catch or use in fed aquaculture. One study calculated that in 2016 4.6 million tonnes of feed-grade fish were caught, 35 percent of the total recorded catch in China’s waters, and most was used directly as feed.

“The state is certainly aware of the problem,” said Fang Qing, China general manager for the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, adding that the difficulty in banning some harmful types of fishing gear in China is due to the ongoing market for the feed-grade fish it brings in. Since 2018, China has put minimum size limits in place for 15 commercial fish species, and ruled that feed-grade fish catch would drop to below 20% by 2020. There is no data available indicating whether this target was met.

This it isn’t just a Chinese problem. According to a 2017 study by the University of British Columbia, many countries, including the US and Norway, use feed-grade fish directly as feed. But the practice increased significantly in Asia between the 1990s and 2010, with feed-grade fish coming to account for a high percentage of landed catches.

Replacing feed-grade fish

In early 2019, the Ministry of Agriculture announced it would work to make Chinese aquaculture more environmentally friendly, and proposed the use of compound feed instead of purely fish-based feed. In April 2021, several provinces started trials of compound feed as part of more concrete action plans.

Compound feed for aquaculture is usually a mix of fishmeal, fish oil, wheat flour, soybean meal, vegetable oil and other land-grown ingredients. The amount of fishmeal and fish oil needed depends on the type of fish to be fed, and its stage of growth. According to Fang Qing, carnivorous fish such as the yellow croaker need huge quantities of meat protein at certain stages in their growth, and the relationship between particular nutrients and the growth and physiology of the fish can be complex. Hence, producing appropriate compound feed involves a lot of research and development.

To quantify how efficiently a species is farmed, the aquaculture industry uses a ratio called Fish in:Fish out (FIFO). The closer the FIFO is to 1, the more fish meat is produced per unit of input; a score of 1 means an extra kilogram of fish used as feed results in an extra kilogram of fish to harvest.

A study published in 2020 shows a FIFO of almost 1 for salmon and trout, thanks to the use of compound feeds which require less fishmeal and fish oil. If only fish were used to feed those species, the FIFO figure would be similar to that of the yellow croaker – over 6, according to an upcoming paper co-authored by Zhang Wenbo, an assistant professor in the College of Fisheries and Life Science at Shanghai Ocean University. His research into conventional yellow croaker aquaculture in China found that the direct use of feed-grade fish is still the best option for the yellow croaker farmers. But Fang Qing told China Dialogue that a lot of feed-grade fish fed to yellow croaker goes uneaten, and ends up sinking to the seabed or rotting, causing pollution and increasing the risk of disease.

More compound feed use would help reduce FIFO numbers in two ways: by cutting use of feed-grade fish, and by increasing conversion ratios – that is, generating more fish growth per unit of feed.

Zhejiang is taking the lead in both those areas. Since 2016, the province has been shutting fishmeal factories during the closed season and restricting the percentage of feed-grade fish in the overall catch. This, combined with the use of compound feed, saw Zhejiang cut the use of feed-grade fish by 835,000 tonnes across 710,000 mu (474 square kilometres) of aquaculture farms during the 13th FYP period (2016-2020). “Previously, feed-grade fish were the primary feed for largemouth bass in Zhejiang. These last two years that’s almost all been replaced with compound feed.” The FIFO ratio for farmed largemouth bass in Zhejiang could come down to 1.5, half the national average for this species, according to 2016 calculations Zhang Wenbo contributed to.

But cutting back on feed-grade fish use in China won’t be easy. Fishers catch a wide range of fish with a wide range of gear. At the local level there is a lack of fisher associations that can impose rules on the sector, making management tricky. Zhejiang’s success can be ascribed to strong local regulations. “There are no successful [international] examples that China can apply,” said Fang Qing. Alongside legislation to bolster oversight of the feed-grade fish catch, he also suggests developing feeds which will be more palatable to fish, and labelling products according to their use of feed-grade fish or compound feed, so consumers can make an informed choice.

Increasing the efficiency of fish inputs

The use of compound feed isn’t the end of the story. At least for now, fishmeal and fish oil are essential ingredients in those feeds. And while the global supply of fishmeal and fish oil has fallen from its peak in 2000 to a fairly stable level, the demand for aquaculture feeds has been increasing. That requires the development of feeds containing less meal and oil.

Plans announced by Norway to boost salmon farming have led to concerns about the supply of fishmeal and fish oil as well as vegetable ingredients. The country has started researching the use of mesopelagic fish (which inhabit the middle depths of the ocean), algae and farmed insects to meet that need and make feed more efficient. A more complete solution would be to develop entirely vegetarian feeds, with no fishmeal at all. However, as things stand that would only be suitable for a few species.

“Fishmeal is the most expensive of the ingredients found in bulk feeds. Reducing the amount in those feeds is the best way to make them cheaper,” Zhang Wenbo points out. A tonne of fishmeal costs around 10,000 yuan (US$1,500), compared to 1,000–4,000 yuan for bran or soybean meal, he added. “Feed conversion ratios are also affected by the type of aquaculture, the make-up of the feed, and genetic selection – the breeding of strains more suited to compound feeds,” he said. This is more difficult in China, with its wide range of farmed species, than in Norway, where salmon dominates. But progress is still being made, and associated targets have been set in the 14th Five Year Plan (2021–25).

Increasing the efficiency of fishmeal and fish oil use in China will also ease global pressures on the supply and help protect juvenile fish. China is the world’s biggest consumer of fishmeal, with the largest part being used in aquaculture, and the second largest being fed to pigs. But the country only produces 400,000–700,000 tonnes of fishmeal a year – not even close to meeting domestic demand. Fishmeal imports have held steady since 2017, at about 1.4 million tonnes, but jumped to 1.82 million tonnes in 2021, with experts ascribing the change to the recovery in pig farming. The extra fishmeal came from the Americas and elsewhere in Asia.

Zhang Wenbo explains that China’s fishmeal and fish oil imports come from forage fish, caught specifically to be turned into fishmeal, and Peru is the main supplier. Relatively little of China’s fishmeal is made from feed-grade fish. “Imports of by-product processed fishmeal from Vietnam and Thailand have been increasing in recent years,” he said.

Minimizing the feed-grade fish catch

Cutting back on the use of feed-grade fish is good for the sustainable development of both wild fishing and aquaculture. It will also help protect already vulnerable ocean ecosystems. In 1959, fishing vessels in China’s Bohai Sea caught 420 kg of fish per net for every hour they worked. By 1993, that had fallen to 30 kg, and only 8 kg between 1998 and 2011. The above-mentioned research into China’s feed-grade fish catch found that a long-term stable total catch has masked trends including falling biomass and changes in end use.

The losses to biodiversity and ecological services cannot be measured in financial terms, and the fishing industry needs more than simply output. Wang Songlin, president and founder of the Qingdao Marine Conservation Society, believes the industry needs to work towards a balance of ecological, economic and social benefits. He told China Dialogue that even if total catch may still be the same by volume, the underlying destruction to the integrity of ecosystems and the environment should not be ignored.

Management of the sector in China has acquired a new ecological focus. Alongside the use of compound feeds, some provinces are providing fishery stewardship subsidies for the protection of rare and endangered species and for keeping down feed-grade fish catch volumes.

Protecting juvenile fish isn’t just a matter for China – it’s crucial for ocean ecosystems around the world. Rashid Sumalia said: “If you look at the economies and the ecology at the higher level, you don’t want to [catch feed-grade fish] because the losses are too high” to be sustainable. Sumalia acknowledges that many people rely on that fishing for their livelihoods but says: “We need to take it down as far as we can.”

Zhang Chun is a senior researcher at China Dialogue. This article appears courtesy of China Dialogue Ocean and may be found in its original form here

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.

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Content: Fish Feed and Additives Market Analysis | Aller Aqua AS, Biomar AS, Biomin GmbH, Cargill Incorporated

[New York, November 2023] – Serving as a valuable resource for industry leaders and newcomers alike, a comprehensive market analysis report focusing on the Fish Feed and Additives Market was recently published. This comprehensive report offers a detailed review of the global Fish Feed and Additives market and its sub-segments, providing revenue forecasts and strategic insights that can drive business success in the coming years.

You can access a sample of this report here:https://www.statsndata.org/download-sample.php?id=172809

This report caters to a wide audience, from industry experts looking to learn about the dynamic Fish Feed and Additives market to newcomers seeking guidance. Customization options are available to ensure the report suits your specific needs.

Key industry players, including:

• Alltech Inc.
• Aller Aqua AS
• Biomar AS
• Biomin GmbH
• Cargill Incorporated
• Nutreco NV
• Ridley Corporation
• Archer Daniels Midland Co.
• BASF SE
• Nutriad International, are featured prominently in the report, shedding light on their business strategies, financial status, and upcoming products

In addition to answering these critical questions, the report provides insights into the future trajectory of the Fish Feed and Additives market by offering a forward-looking perspective. It provides decision makers with the information needed to effectively guide the development of the market over the forecast period.

Report Highlights:

– Competitive Landscape: In-depth analysis of evolving competitive dynamics for effective adaptation and strategy formulation.
– Future Outlook: Understand the forces driving or inhibiting Fish Feed and Additives market growth with a forward-looking, six-year forecast.
– Product Analytics: Identify key product segments and their growth potential to align your strategies with market trends.
– Informed Decision Making: Deepen your Fish Feed and Additives market understanding and segment analysis for well-informed business decisions.

Market segmentation is a crucial aspect, categorizing the market by type, product, and end-user. This segmentation enhances the accuracy of market descriptions.

Fish Feed and Additives Market Segmentation Analysis includes:

Fish Feed and Additives Market segmentation : By Type

• Sea Fish
• Freshwater Fish

Fish Feed and Additives Market Segmentation: By Application

• Feed
• Additive

Request Discount On Full Report:https://www.statsndata.org/checkout-report.php?id=172809

Key Questions Analyzed in this Report:

  • What will be the market size and growth rate over the forecast period?
  • What are the key factors driving the Fish Feed and Additives market?
  • What risks and challenges are on the horizon for the market?
  • Who are the major players in the Fish Feed and Additives market?
  • How are their market shares affected by current trends?
  • What are the key findings of Porter’s five forces model?
  • What global expansion opportunities await you in the Fish Feed and Additives market?

Conclusion

In conclusion, Embrace data-driven decision making with our comprehensive Fish Feed and Additives market research report. It is your roadmap for navigating the ever-changing market landscape and positioning your business for success.

Table Of Content

Chapter 1 Fish Feed and Additives Market Overview

1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Fish Feed and Additives

1.2 Fish Feed and Additives Market Segmentation by Type

1.3 Fish Feed and Additives Market Segmentation by Application

1.4 Fish Feed and Additives Market Segmentation by Regions

1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Fish Feed and Additives (2018-2029)

Chapter 2 Global Economic Impact on Fish Feed and Additives Industry

2.1 Global Macroeconomic Environment Analysis

2.2 Global Macroeconomic Environment Analysis by Regions

Chapter 3 Global Fish Feed and Additives Market Competition by Manufacturers

3.1 Global Fish Feed and Additives Production and Share by Manufacturers (2018 to 2023)

3.2 Global Fish Feed and Additives Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2018 to 2023)

3.3 Global Fish Feed and Additives Average Price by Manufacturers (2018 to 2023)

3.4 Manufacturers Fish Feed and Additives Manufacturing Base Distribution, Production Area and Product Type

3.5 Fish Feed and Additives Market Competitive Situation and Trends

Chapter 4 Global Fish Feed and Additives Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2018-2023)

4.1 Global Fish Feed and Additives Production by Region (2018-2023)

4.2 Global Fish Feed and Additives Production Market Share by Region (2018-2023)

4.3 Global Fish Feed and Additives Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2018-2023)

4.4 Global Fish Feed and Additives Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2018-2023)

Continue…

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However, the use of these marine-derived ingredients raises significant sustainability concerns, as their production contributes to overfishing and ecological disruption in marine environments .

To address these concerns, the industry is increasingly incorporating **plant-based proteins** such as soy, wheat gluten, and corn gluten meal into salmon feed.

To address these concerns, the industry is increasingly incorporating **plant-based proteins** such as soy, wheat gluten, and corn gluten meal into salmon feed.

These ingredients help reduce reliance on wild fish stocks and improve the sustainability profile of farmed salmon, though they may lack certain essential amino acids and omega-3 fatty acids found in fishmeal and fish oil .

**Vegetable oils** are also used as cost-effective alternatives to fish oil, but their inclusion can dilute the omega-3 content of farmed salmon, potentially diminishing some of the health benefits for consumers .

**Vitamins and minerals** are routinely added to ensure the nutritional adequacy of the feed, supporting metabolic processes, growth, immune function, and overall fish health .

Title:

Content: Cheaper salmon is 'as good as premium farmed products when it comes to Omega 3', study shows

  • Fish-eaters benefit from two Omega 3 fatty acids – EPA and DHA – which can boost heart health and thinking skills
  • Researchers analysed packs of farmed Scottish and Norwegian salmon from 10 UK supermarkets
  • The best provided 67% of the recommended weekly Omega 3 but the worst only offered 26%
  • Fillets from two stores did not contain significantly more Omega 3 than non-premium products

Premium farmed salmon may be no healthier than value brands when it comes to Omega 3, a study has shown.

Fish-eaters benefit from two Omega 3 fatty acids – EPA and DHA – which can boost heart health and thinking skills.

Researchers analysed packs of farmed Scottish and Norwegian salmon from 10 UK supermarkets.

The best provided 67 per cent of the recommended weekly Omega 3 but the worst only offered 26 per cent.

Fillets from two stores did not contain significantly more Omega 3 than non-premium products.

Premium farmed salmon may be no healthier than value brands when it comes to Omega 3, a study has shown. Fish-eaters benefit from two Omega 3 fatty acids – EPA and DHA – which can boost heart health and thinking skills. (File image)

Farmed salmon tend to be fed a mixture of fish and vegetable oils but the latter lack the fatty acids found in seafood.

Study leader Dr Matthew Sprague, from Stirling University, said: 'The amount of EPA and DHA can vary based on the cut of salmon, as well as what it was fed, but farmed salmon is still high in nutrients.'

Salmon not only contains Omega 3 but selenium and phosphorus, which are also important for health.

Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: 'Consumers take various factors into consideration when buying salmon, including its health benefits and the way it is produced, and they will weigh these up when choosing what to purchase in a supermarket.'

Salmon not only contains Omega 3 but selenium and phosphorus, which are also important for health

Phil Brooke, from Compassion in World Farming, said: 'Intensive fish farming is bad for fish welfare and the product only contains Omega 3 due to the wasteful consumption of feed containing fish oil.'

Wild salmon consume only fish oil, which they get from algae and smaller fish, but lose fatty acids from that fish oil, as they become leaner during the migration back from the sea to the river to spawn.

This means farmed fish, which are kept confined in cages within the sea, can contain more Omega 3 than the wild variety.

But vegetable oil is more accessible, sustainable, and also cheaper than fish oil for the expanding fish farming industry.

So more of this can be used, which substantially reduces the amount of Omega 3 in farmed salmon.

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Cheaper salmon is 'as good as premium farmed products when it comes to Omega 3', study shows

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**Antioxidants** such as tocopherols are included to prevent the oxidation of fats in the feed, thereby maintaining feed quality and extending shelf life .

**Coloring agents**, most notably astaxanthin, are commonly added to impart the characteristic pink color to salmon flesh that consumers expect; astaxanthin can be derived from natural sources like algae or produced synthetically and also provides antioxidant benefits .

What are some of the additives that are added to salmon feeds in salmon farms?

What are the purposes of adding pigments to the feed in salmon farms?

What are some of the additives that are added to salmon feeds in salmon farms?

What are the purposes of adding pigments to the feed in salmon farms?

**Antibiotics and antiparasitics** are sometimes used to control disease outbreaks and manage parasites such as sea lice, which are prevalent in high-density aquaculture environments .

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Fish residues can compensate for raw materials shortages and improve our health in the bargain

More than a million tons of fish residues can rescue the food and cosmetic industries from raw materials shortages—and create new jobs. The key factors here are oils rich in omega-3, collagen and gelatin.

Researchers are currently working to develop technologies that can boost our utilization of fish residues, and thus optimize our exploitation of biomarine resources. One aspect under study is whether fish skin can be used to manufacture collagen and , because we know that fish skin and bones both contain a lot of collagen.

Collagen is currently extracted from the skin and bones of pigs or cattle, but gelatin derived from fish skin offers many benefits.

This work is being carried out as part of a project called SUPREME, which is being headed by the Norwegian science institute SINTEF Ocean in collaboration with several research partners, including the Norwegian university NTNU and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).

"In the first place, fish-derived collagen is often of higher quality, and enables people who don't eat meat to enjoy products containing gelatin," says Rasa Slizyte, who is a Senior Research Scientist at SINTEF Ocean.

"If we optimize our exploitation of whitefish residues, we can produce more than 6,500 tons of gelatin from fish skin every year.

Collagen and gelatin are both sought-after ingredients used in the pharmaceutical, dietary, nutrition and cosmetic industries, where they are used in the manufacture of creams, capsules, powders and jellies. It is not uncommon for these industries to experience shortages in marine raw materials.

A major market

These industries constitute a major market for collagen. However, even if the whitefish sector is able to supply large volumes of fish skins, it is no easy task to exploit their potential. Many have limited space on board and not all are equipped to supply fresh, high-quality raw materials, or to freeze them, which is essential to avoid quality deterioration.

The SUPREME project has involved the testing of a number of preservation technologies such as freezing, salting and low pH techniques. All of these methods produced satisfactory results, with high gelatin yields and good compositions of amino acids.

"This means that if we optimize our exploitation of whitefish residues, we can produce more than 6,500 tons of gelatin from fish skin every year," says Slizyte.

Good oils from salmon

It isn't only whitefish that offer excellent skins. The skin and the backbones of salmon are rich in collagen, and both could be exploited much better than they are today. When a salmon is fileted and deboned, some residual muscle tissue remains attached to the bone.

This mixture is especially well-suited for gelatin extraction and the production of oils and protein hydrolysates. The hydrolysis process, using tempered water, breaks the collagen protein molecules into smaller, taste-neutral peptides. The word hydrolysis is derived from combining "hydro," which means water, with "lysis" which means to break apart.

Salmon skin and bones contain much more oil than those of whitefish. As part of an EU-funded project called DAFIA, SINTEF researchers have been working to develop, among other things, a multi-stage processing technology that incorporates gentle heat treatment to break down the skin or backbones and remove the muscle fraction. This makes it possible to extract as much as 90% of the oil.

Extraction of the oil at an early stage preserves its high quality. The process also requires less water and enzymes to enable the hydrolysis process to break up the protein molecules.

These results demonstrate that if the source raw materials are of high quality, it is possible to produce high-quality gelatin, oil and taste-neutral proteins. Moreover, extracting most of the oil early in the process also reduces energy consumption.

A new industry?

This new technology is promising with a view to both economics and quality, not least because several high-quality products can be manufactured from the same raw materials. Marine oils are easily oxidized, which reduces their quality. However, if we add antioxidants and enclose them in capsules, the oils can be protected. Proteins such as gelatin are used to encapsulate fish oils, while also serving to mask unwanted odors, taste and rancidity.

Today, large volumes of fish are sent out of Norway for processing. We are sending valuable raw materials overseas that simply go to waste.

"If we were to process more of the fish here in Norway, we would not only be better able to exploit the potential of the fish skins, but would also create more jobs," says Slizyte.

In order to safeguard the quality of the marine oils and gelatin, it is important to stabilize these as rapidly as possible. As part of a project called OMEGA, researchers from SINTEF, together with NTNU, DTU and Indian scientists, have demonstrated that gelatin and oils derived from salmon can be used to make the stable microcapsules needed to protect these two raw materials

"These projects demonstrate that it's entirely possible to make use of all fish raw materials," says Slizyte. "We've completed our investigations of whitefish and salmon, so now it's herring's turn," she says.

Provided by SINTEF

Citation: Fish residues can compensate for raw materials shortages and improve our health in the bargain (2024, May 6) retrieved 6 May 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2024-05-fish-residues-compensate-raw-materials.html
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The pollution risks associated with antibiotics used in sea-farmed salmon.

While these additives are effective for disease prevention and treatment, their use is increasingly scrutinized due to concerns about antibiotic resistance, chemical residues in fish, and environmental impacts .

What health concerns are there specifically related to additives in farmed salmon feed?

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Among **uncommon or emerging additives**, **insect meal**—derived from sources such as mealworms or black soldier fly larvae—is gaining traction as a sustainable, high-protein alternative to fishmeal.

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The EU must not support intensive fish farming — it's not sustainable

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The Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union, which will run between 1 July and 31 December 2024, has announced in its programme that it will pay particular attention to the development of “sustainable and competitive aquaculture”, arguing that “it is the animal protein production sector with the smallest environmental footprint.”

Beyond a supposedly low carbon footprint, aquaculture is also presented as an alternative to mitigate declining wild fish catches. However, under the term “aquaculture” we find various production models – some of which are more environmentally benign when conducted at appropriate scale, such as the cultivation of mussels, clams, and oysters, and some of which come with significant damaging impacts.

Many European consumers who want to eat fish from sustainable sources believe farmed salmon, trout and seabass are sustainable choices. But the intensive farming of carnivorous fin fish is neither socially nor environmentally sustainable.

The environmental impacts of this industrial production model include an increase in harmful algal blooms, a negative impact on sea grass meadows due to the accumulation of organic matter around farms, mass fish die-offs, the use of the harmful substances such as carcinogenic formaldehyde or antibiotics, and water pollution, creating dead zones on the sea bed underneath the farms. Adding to this, carnivorous farmed fish such as salmon and seabass require high volumes of fishmeal and fish oil from wild-caught fish in their feed.

In Europe, industrial aquaculture of carnivorous fish at sea is damaging the environment and displacing traditional activities such as coastal small-scale fisheries.

On the island of Poros, Greece, for example, the plan is to increase the area dedicated to open net pen carnivorous fish farms by 28 times. Yet, underwater video depicts that marine ecosystem near the current small-scale pens is completely dead from the waste and pollution of the farms, and local professional fishermen attest to a loss of wild fish since the influx of fish farms.

Beyond Europe, the production of fishmeal and fish oil necessary to feed carnivorous farmed fish is depleting wild fish stocks. This is the case in West Africa where the overfishing of small pelagics such as sardines and mackerel for industrial fish farms in Europe is undermining food security and the livelihoods of small-scale fishers and women fish-processors. Fish is taken away from people in low-income countries to feed the farmed fish which will be consumed in wealthy nations.

The UN special rapporteur on the right to food acknowledged this in his report to the Human Rights Council in early 2024: “Many farmed fish are carnivorous species that require feed products harvested from wild fish stock, thereby creating another source of pressure on wild fish stocks and disrupting ecosystems.

Moreover, global feed companies are exacerbating food insecurity in some communities. For example, over half a million tons of pelagic fish that could feed over 33 million people in the region are instead extracted from the ocean along the coast of West Africa and converted to fishmeal and fish oil, primarily in order to feed farmed fish and livestock, mostly in Asia and Europe.”

The current EU strategy for aquaculture does not respond to the social and environmental challenges posed by this sector and fails to clearly define what “sustainable” aquaculture is. In fact, in a special report on aquaculture, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) found that the European Union has been pouring funds into the development of aquaculture with little proof that this has contributed to the sector’s “environmental and social sustainability or its competitiveness.” The ECA report further highlights that “there are currently no indicators available to monitor the environmental sustainability of EU aquaculture.”

Under the agriculture and fisheries agenda, Hungary has reaffirmed its wish to support farmers, and fish farmers, through a “farmer-friendly European food system.” Rather they should support low impact small-scale fishers as primary food producers.

Under the Hungarian presidency, the EU should discontinue support for industrial aquaculture of carnivorous species and instead promote more sustainable small-scale aquaculture options that can co-exist instead of negatively affecting small-scale fisheries in Europe and beyond. If Europe wants to be a model in sustainable ocean governance, it must place small-scale, low-impact fisheries and aquaculture at the heart of its food policy.

This is an open letter signed by the following organisations from Africa and Europe: African Confederation of Artisanal Fisheries Organisations (CAOPA), Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements (CFFA), Feedback Europe, Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE), Compassion in World Farming and the Rauch Foundation.

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This article is sponsored by a third party. All opinions in this article reflect the views of the author and not of EUobserver.

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The Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements is a platform of European and African organisations that raises awareness about the impacts of the EU-Africa fisheries agreements on artisanal fishing communities.

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The Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements is a platform of European and African organisations that raises awareness about the impacts of the EU-Africa fisheries agreements on artisanal fishing communities.

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HomeNewsIsland & CoastNo faith in minister, coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship says

No faith in minister, coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship says

In response to the Federal Government’s decision not to renew 15 fish farm licences in the Discovery Islands, the Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship says it can no longer trust the fisheries minister.

The government’s decision comes as Pacific salmon stocks are on a long-term decline, with many running on the verge of collapse.

Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Joyce Murray said it was a decision that needed to be made.

“The state of wild Pacific salmon is dire, and we must do what we can to ensure their survival,” said Murray. “By taking an enhanced precautionary approach in the Discovery Islands area, the Government of Canada will help ensure the well-being of wild Pacific salmon for our children and grandchildren.”

However, the elected Chief Councillor of the Wei Wai Kum First Nation, Chris Roberts, says the coalition must have a say on what kind of salmon farming can and should take place in their territories.

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“We as a coalition can no longer trust that Minister Murray can deliver a thoughtful and unbiased transition plan for the remaining salmon farms in our sovereign territories,” says Roberts.

“Our people have been looking after wild salmon for thousands of years, and we will continue to do so.”

While there are differing views on salmon farming among many First Nations communities in BC, Roberts argues that if a First Nation can say no to a resource extraction in their territory, they should also be able to say yes.

“It’s because it’s on their terms, set out by the laws and traditions of our people,” adds Roberts.

“And it’s with those laws and traditions that will guide how things are to be monitored properly.”

The coalition adds that Murray’s decision has left a dangerous precedent that will affect the transition plan for the sector negatively and threatens salmon farming operations for the rest of the territories.

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They are also calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to “pass the critical file on to a more responsible and unbiased minister to complete.”

“We strongly recommend the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation, Marc Miller, for the job,” Roberts said.

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**Seaweed and kelp** are also being explored, particularly in integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) systems, where they absorb excess nutrients from the water, improve water quality, and provide additional vitamins and trace minerals .

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Aquaculture company Clean Seas announces seaweed trial in bid to reduce emissions

By Lucas Forbes
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An aquaculture company is trialling growing seaweed to reduce the environmental impact of fish farming and livestock.

Clean Seas is working with another aquaculture company, CH4 Global, to grow asparagopsis seaweed at its Arno Bay site as part of the trial.

Asparagopsis can absorb excess carbon and nitrogen waste from fish farms and reduces cattle methane emissions when added to their feed.

Clean Seas chief executive Rob Gratton said growing asparagopsis alongside kingfish farms could make red meat and aquaculture more sustainable.

"This is about the future of sustainable aquaculture and the future of feeding the world," he said.

"We can offset some of the environmental footprint of kingfish farming and produce a product that helps another industry achieve its environmental credentials."

Asparagopsis is estimated to reduce carbon emissions from cattle by up to 90 per cent when added to feed.

As part of the trial Clean Seas is providing a tank to grow the seaweed in, while CH4 is outfitting it to grow asparagopsis.

Mr Gratton said he was confident in the science of growing asparagopsis and that the three-year trial would focus how to grow the seaweed at scale.

"The science is clear, this species of asparagopsis grows in our waters and captures carbon and nitrogen; this is more a technical scale-up exercise," he said.

Mr Gratton said if successful, asparagopsis production could become a mainstay of its business.

"If this was successful, I could see a future where all our leases up and down the Spencer Gulf have some form of algae production," he said.

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Drug-resistant sea lice an increasing problem for B.C. fish farms, new study finds

By Melanie Nagy

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    May 14, 2022 (CTV Network) — Every spring, endangered juvenile wild salmon migrate from B.C.’s rivers to the Pacific Ocean, but their numbers are dwindling and some fear sea lice parasites are increasingly to blame. Sea lice are tiny, oval shaped crustaceans that can cling to the backs of wild salmon, feeding on their skin, muscle tissue and blood. Adult fish are generally not harmed when a few lice attach themselves, but juveniles with underdeveloped scales can be harmed or killed when heavily infested. While the parasite occurs naturally in the waters off B.C.’s coast, there’s long been concern over outbreaks on aquaculture farms where open-net pens make it possible for lice to move from farmed fish to young migrating salmon. “Salmon farms act as this year-round reservoir for sea lice, potentially providing sea lice to wild juvenile salmon when they wouldn’t normally get them,” conservation biologist Sean Godwin said. Godwin is the lead author in a recent study that looked at the state of sea lice in the Pacific Ocean. Along with his fellow researchers, he found the parasite is increasingly becoming resistant to one of the main tools the industry relies on to combat the problem. “Our paper found that this tool, which is a pesticide known [as] SLICE, or emamectin benzoate, is becoming less effective and that sea lice are developing resistance to it on farms here,” Godwin said. To assess parasite resistance, “bioassay, treatment and salmon-louse count data from 2010 to 2021” were analyzed. During that time, the researchers found a notable decrease in the effectiveness of SLICE. “It is going to be more difficult for salmon farms to control sea lice outbreaks on their farms,” said Godwin. In the province’s stunning Clayoquot Sound, Bonny Glambeck routinely uses a fine-mesh net and a sample cup to test the waters near fish farms. Glambeck heads the Tofino-based conservation society known as Clayoquot Action and every year she monitors industry lice counts and tracks wild salmon infestations. “The control of sea lice on fish farms is something I do not believe the industry has ever been able to crack,” she said. “Parasites like these sea lice proliferate on these farms and then they can pass them on to wild salmon. With that, we feel that every year that goes by and these farms are allowed to pollute the waters with these infestations, they are just wiping out another generation of wild salmon.” Fisheries and Oceans Canada requires all fish farms in Canadian coastal waters to have a sea lice management plan. The federal department also places a limit of three lice per salmon during the spring when young salmon are out-migrating and are most vulnerable. In addition to that, the industry publicly reports lice counts on individual company websites every month. “The worry is that those lice levels might accumulate and then be released back to affect wild migratory salmon. The science doesn’t support that, but the concern exists so the industry responds to that,” said Brian Kingzett. Kingzett is the science and policy director with the BC Salmon Farmers Association. He says the industry has warned the federal government for years about the waning efficacy of SLICE, and has long called on Ottawa to approve new pesticide options. “There are other anti-parasite agents that have been approved in other areas of the world and we would certainly like to add that to our toolbox.” While SLICE is the only approved pesticide in Canada, it is not the only option for a fish farm struggling with a lice infestation. Kingzett says other environmentally friendly methods include the use of specialized delousing boats. One readily used vessel can suck fish from ocean-based pens into tanks where pressurized water is used to forcibly remove any attached lice. According to the industry, any dislodged bugs are collected by filters for disposal so they are not reintroduced to the marine environment. “During the last five years, the industry has spent about $100 million on importing new technologies,” Kingzett said. “Fish farming is an important industry in B.C. because we are facing a global seafood shortage and the farming sector is looking to provide sustainable, high-quality product.” The industry, however, is controversial and there’s been an ongoing battle to have all fish farms in the province removed. Earlier this month, there was a large protest in Tofino involving Indigenous leaders, conservationists and environmentalists. The group took to the waters near a local fish farm to voice their opposition to the industry and call on Ottawa to evict them. “It is a do-or-die moment for the salmon farming industry,” said Alexandra Morton, who is an independent biologist and longtime wild salmon activist. “We need to do whatever we can to save wild salmon populations because they are sadly on the verge of extinction.” In response, those in support of fish farms argue they are not a direct threat to wild salmon and are a vital industry. According to the BC Salmon Farmers Association, there are nearly 5,000 jobs linked to fish farms and at least $1 billion “in economic activity” is generated annually. Despite that, Ottawa has previously announced that it’s committed to phasing out open-net salmon farms in B.C. by 2025. In addition, it’s uncertain if 79 federal fish farm licenses expiring in June will be renewed.

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Matthew Talbot
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**Collagen and gelatin** extracted from fish processing by-products are under investigation for their potential to improve nutrition and reduce waste in aquaculture feeds .

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Salmon fishers in British Columbia face an uncertain future. Photo by Chris Cheadle/Alamy Stock Photo

Fishery Closures and the Ghosts of Past Mistakes

Canada is closing fisheries and buying back licenses. Will this latest scheme save salmon or sink fishers?

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by Michelle Gamage

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David Christian, a 63-year-old gill-netter, first heard about the Pacific salmon fishery closures via cellphone while he was getting his 11-meter Grizzly King gill-netter ready to fish for salmon. The news spread quickly across the calm June waters off the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, as fishers jumped on the radio to figure out what had just happened.

The radio chatter was incessant as fishers wondered aloud where they’d be allowed to fish, if they would be out of business, and what the future would hold. “Everyone was freaking out because all of those questions were unanswered,” Christian says, adding this policy will likely end British Columbia’s commercial salmon industry.

Announced on June 29, the closures are part of the latest plan by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to overhaul the Pacific salmon commercial industry in an attempt to save crashing salmon stocks. Pacific salmon harvests are down to just eight percent of their historical averages. The fishers were reacting to the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI), a CAN $647.1-million plan covering everything from habitat restoration to financial aid for fishers. Its goal: save the salmon and shrink the size of the commercial industry built around them.

Under the PSSI, DFO plans to close 57 percent of the 138 Pacific salmon fisheries along the west coast of British Columbia and Yukon. Closures will help protect at-risk salmon stocks from ending up as by-catch, says Neil Davis, DFO acting regional director of fisheries management. Fishing for salmon in the ocean—unlike traditional practices where Indigenous communities fish in rivers—makes it practically impossible to separate at-risk stocks from healthy stocks.

Davis says closures will protect more than 50 salmon stocks, such as the interior Fraser River coho and Okanagan River chinook, which are being evaluated by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada for listing under the Species at Risk Act.

DFO understands that the PSSI will have significant impacts on people who work in the salmon industry. “[But] the status of the stocks demanded difficult decisions be made if we wanted a longer-term future for salmon and therefore for any of the fisheries that depend on salmon,” Davis says.

To harvest salmon, fishers need a commercial license, which outlines the region they can fish and the gear they can use. DFO also determines the target species and the timing of openings. The PSSI closed Area E chum, for example, meaning gill-netters won’t be allowed to harvest Fraser River chum for the 2021 season.

The salmon fishery was the lifeblood of many fishing communities until stocks began to crash in the late 20th century. Photo by Fernando Lessa/Alamy Stock Photo

Despite the threat of widespread closures, only 13 fisheries—rather than the 79 included on the PSSI’s list—were closed. However, some of those 79 fisheries have been closed for decades with the unlikely possibility of ever opening in 2021 or beyond.

Pacific salmon populations have been in decline over the past four decades. For most of the past century, Canadian fishers caught an annual average of 24 million salmon. That number was cut in half in the early 1990s, and since then has slowly decreased to just two million in recent years.

Aside from overfishing, salmon have had to weather a number of environmental calamities, including record drought and drying streams, warmer ocean temperatures disrupting their diets, and pathogens introduced by the province’s open-net-pen aquaculture industry.

Commercial salmon fishers are critical of the PSSI, saying that the closures will hurt fishers more than benefit fish.

Through the PSSI, DFO is offering to buy salmon licenses for fair market value to support fishers as the commercial industry shrinks. Davis says an exact dollar amount has yet to be decided, but would likely be based on assessed license values over recent years.

But a license buy-back system might not support the most financially vulnerable, such as crew members who have no stake in a license that’s attached to a boat or a company, or the shore-based processors and packers. Plus, anyone retaining a license has seen the value of that license crash with the announcement—no one wants to buy into an industry with such an uncertain future. Though, the market was already slow prior to the announcement.

This isn’t the first time DFO has overhauled the Pacific salmon commercial industry. And it’s not as if the last two times went smoothly, says Jennifer Silver, an associate professor who studies fisheries management at the University of Guelph in Ontario.

In 1969, the Davis Plan transitioned the industry from one in which anyone could apply for a license to a limited license system. The plan reduced the number of licenses and the size of the commercial fleet, and it created a market for buying and selling licenses. Harvesters who’d caught more than 4,500 kilograms of pink or chum salmon, or the equivalent of other species, during the 1967–68 season got a license they could sell to another fisher when they retired. For anyone who’d caught less than that amount, the government issued a license that expired when they retired. The plan had some unintended consequences.

Various government plans to protect salmon stocks and reduce the fishing fleet have had some unwelcome consequences for fishers. Photo by John Zada/Alamy Stock Photo

In a 2019 paper she coauthored, Silver explains how the Davis Plan led to a smaller fleet with more capital. By the 1980s, the total number of vessels in British Columbia’s entire commercial fleet had decreased by 1,000 boats, leaving 6,700. With limited access to the fishery, presumably fishers would make more money, DFO would have an easier time managing a smaller fleet, and overfishing would end. But it didn’t play out that way, Silver says. To maximize their catch, fishers teamed up, or those with more than one salmon license often sold one and used the money to buy better boats and gear, resulting in a higher catch.

The Davis Plan reduced the overall number of boats on the water, but didn’t reduce competition for the salmon resource; fishers just worked harder, Silver says.

By the mid-1990s, salmon stocks were in decline and so were wild salmon prices. Aquaculture was gaining a foothold around the world, and markets were overrun with fresh, year-round salmon that sold for less than wild salmon, explains Greg Taylor, who has 40 years of experience in the salmon industry and works with the nonprofit Watershed Watch Salmon Society.

To spread out the commercial fleet and reduce competition, DFO brought in the 1996 Mifflin Plan. Taylor says the goal was to cut the fleet in half to increase how many salmon each fisher had access to.

Under Mifflin, DFO broke the coastline into regions. They limited licenses to one region and one gear type: seine net, gill net, or trolling lines. Half of Canada’s wild Pacific salmon are caught by seine boats, which loop nets around schools of fish. The other half is divided between gill-netters, which hang nets like a wall in front of migrating salmon, and trollers, which catch salmon by dragging hooks and lines suspended from large trolling poles.

The Mifflin Plan also offered a buy-back system for any fishers interested in retiring their license. Some licenses the government bought back would be reallocated to Indigenous communities through various agreements and overseen by the Pacific Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative.

Sockeye salmon has been one of the most lucrative fisheries in British Columbia in modern times. Photo by Ingo Arndt/Minden Pictures

DFO wasn’t the only one offering cash for licenses. The Mifflin Plan didn’t regulate the total number of licenses anyone could hold, which created an opportunity for some of the largest processors to accumulate licenses, Silver says.

In Silver’s 2019 paper, she points out how the Jim Pattison Group now controls a massive chunk of the industry, because it owns 424 licenses—239 through its subsidiary the Canadian Fishing Company, 134 directly, and another 51 through a handful of companies. The next-largest owner is the Northern Native Fishing Corporation with 254 licenses. Around 1,360 people own just one license.

Today, there are 2,109 salmon licenses: 1,457 gill net, 376 troll, 276 seine. There are also a number of First Nations licenses permitting the use of mixed gear types, not including gill nets.

Davis says DFO is very aware of its past mistakes, but fishers aren’t convinced the PSSI will unfold without consequences.

“It’s the most important fishery—culturally, socially, and historically—on the coast,” says James Lawson, 32-year-old president of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers’ Union and member of the Haíɫzaqv (Heiltsuk) Nation. Sweeping closures mean fishers will be out of a job and stuck with their expensive gear, boats, insurance, and moorage, he says.

“This is more than a job. They’re taking away their entire lifestyle, their identity. It’s snuffing out an entire culture,” Lawson warns. “They have nothing left—there are going to be people that kill themselves because of this.” Fishers already struggle with an unstable industry that can cause mental health, addiction, and family problems, Lawson says, adding the PSSI could make these impacts 10 times worse. This time, the change is even more serious, he says: the closures permanently shrink the industry rather than restructure it.

An analysis of commercial fishing licenses, published on December 31, 2019, calculated each salmon seine license to be worth $530,000; a troll license, $167,000; and a gill net license, $56,000. If DFO hypothetically bought all salmon licenses at these prices, it would take up 45 percent of the PSSI budget—meaning there’s considerably less money going toward habitat restoration, Lawson says.

Chris Cue, senior director of fishing operations for the Canadian Fishing Company, says a fisher’s license is their retirement plan, which ironically became the norm once the government began restricting fishing licenses. Closing fisheries under the PSSI drops the value of a license “down to nothing,” which means fishers will be taking a steep loss if they sell their licenses to the government for today’s market value.

Building back salmon stocks to support a healthy fishing fleet will likely take generations. Photo by Nicnic Creative Co/Alamy Stock Photo

Christian says he’s holding onto his license for the Grizzly King for now. He’s concerned that DFO will destroy the license after buying it, and that overall access to Pacific salmon will be further reduced. It costs him $750 annually to renew his gill net license, and he says that’s a worthwhile price to maintain access to the resource.

The PSSI could also impact First Nations commercial fisheries.

Commercial access to salmon for most First Nations governments is through agreements with the Canadian government, says Jim Lane, deputy program manager of Uu-a-thluk, the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council’s aquatic resource management organization. DFO issues nations with communal commercial licenses so that Indigenous communities can participate in commercial fisheries under regular commercial fishing license rules. That means those communities are stuck waiting for DFO to open a fishery before they can put nets in the water, just like the rest of the commercial fleet, Lane says.

Five First Nations will likely be exempt from the closures, says Judith Sayers, president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and a member of the Hupačasath First Nation in Port Alberni, British Columbia.

Earlier this year, the Nuu-chah-nulth won a court case in the BC Court of Appeal that confirmed First Nations rights to commercial fisheries. For the Ahousaht, Hesquiaht, Mowachaht/Muchalaht, Tla-o-qui-aht, and Ehattesaht First Nations on western Vancouver Island, their right to fish salmon is second only to conservation efforts, Sayers says.

She also points to the 1990 Sparrow case when the Supreme Court of Canada ruled the rights of First Nations to fish are second only to conservation. The BC Court of Appeal declared that right for the five Nuu-chah-nulth nations, but other Nuu-chah-Nulth nations have asserted they have the same rights, Sayers said.

DFO has largely branded the PSSI as a conservation effort, but Sayers isn’t sure if it could currently trump First Nations rights. First Nations would never want to endanger salmon runs when conservation is needed, but the PSSI hasn’t identified any specific conservation plans, she says, adding that conservation should be determined with input from First Nations using Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge.

The PSSI closures will reduce how many fish are caught by the commercial fleet, but it might not reduce how many Pacific salmon are caught overall, Lane says. DFO is currently updating its Pacific Salmon Allocation Policy, which says how many fish can be caught by other main harvesting groups—First Nations for food, social, and ceremonial reasons, and recreational fishers. Allocation will also take into account the five Nuu-chah-nulth nations and their court-recognized right to fish commercially.

Lane says releasing the PSSI before updating the allocation policy seems premature. Saving some fish from commercial nets isn’t saving them if they’ll just be caught by the recreational industry, which hasn’t faced sweeping closures under the PSSI, Lane says. “That’s not conservation, just reallocation,” he says.

Davis says many details are still being fleshed out, and the closure of commercial fisheries is just the first step. He adds that within five years, the majority of DFO’s salmon-saving strategy will be underway. Salmon are cyclical and move from their spawning streams to the ocean, and back, in two- to seven-year cycles. “It could be two to three generations of salmon before we’ll be confident we can truly see meaningful results from our investments here. It’s a long-term challenge, and recovery is a longer-term undertaking,” Davis says.

But even in three generations, the question hovering over the plan is whether salmon can survive droughts, warming waters, and habitat degradation.

**Probiotics and prebiotics** are sometimes included to promote gut health, enhance nutrient absorption, and boost immune responses in farmed salmon .

The **purposes** of these additives are multifaceted.

The **purposes** of these additives are multifaceted.

**Nutritional enhancement** is a primary goal, ensuring that farmed salmon receive all essential nutrients for optimal growth, health, and disease resistance .

**Sustainability** is another key driver, with plant-based proteins, insect meal, and the use of fish by-products all aimed at reducing the ecological impact of salmon farming and conserving wild fish populations .

**Health improvement** is addressed through the inclusion of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, probiotics, and prebiotics, which support immune function, metabolic health, and disease resistance .

**Waste reduction and resource efficiency** are achieved by utilizing fish processing by-products and incorporating ingredients like seaweed that help mitigate nutrient pollution .

However, the use of these additives is not without **health concerns**.

However, the use of these additives is not without **health concerns**.

**Contaminants** such as heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (e.g., PCBs, dioxins) can be present in fishmeal and fish oil, accumulating in farmed salmon and posing potential health risks to consumers .

What health concerns are there specifically related to additives in farmed salmon feed?

What health concerns are there specifically related to additives in farmed salmon feed?

The use of **antibiotics** raises the specter of antibiotic resistance, which is a significant public health threat, and may also result in antibiotic residues in fish products .

What has the release of Netflix's ecological crisis documentary "Seaspiracy"  exposed?

The pollution risks associated with antibiotics used in sea-farmed salmon.

What health concerns are there specifically related to additives in farmed salmon feed?

What has the release of Netflix's ecological crisis documentary "Seaspiracy"  exposed?

The pollution risks associated with antibiotics used in sea-farmed salmon.

What health concerns are there specifically related to additives in farmed salmon feed?

**Antiparasitic chemicals** like emamectin benzoate (SLICE) are losing effectiveness due to resistance, leading to increased use of alternative treatments and raising concerns about environmental and health impacts .

**Nutritional variability** is another issue: the replacement of fish oil with vegetable oils can reduce the omega-3 content of farmed salmon, potentially diminishing the health benefits for consumers .

**Allergens** from plant-based additives such as soy or wheat may also be present, affecting sensitive individuals .

The use of wild fish-derived additives continues to contribute to overfishing and ecological imbalance, threatening marine biodiversity .

**Regulatory standards and frameworks** governing the use of feed additives in salmon farming vary by region but are generally robust in major producing countries.

**Regulatory standards and frameworks** governing the use of feed additives in salmon farming vary by region but are generally robust in major producing countries.

**Regulatory standards and frameworks** governing the use of feed additives in salmon farming vary by region but are generally robust in major producing countries.

In the **European Union (EU)**, strict regulations are enforced on the use of additives in aquaculture feeds, with a focus on sustainability, food safety, and minimizing environmental impact .

What countries or jurisdictions have regulations concerning additives in salmon feed?

What countries or jurisdictions have regulations concerning antibiotics in farmes salmon?

What countries or jurisdictions have regulations concerning additives in salmon feed?

What countries or jurisdictions have regulations concerning antibiotics in farmes salmon?

What countries or jurisdictions have regulations concerning additives in salmon feed?

What countries or jurisdictions have regulations concerning antibiotics in farmes salmon?

The EU has also approved the use of insect proteins in animal feeds, reflecting a commitment to innovation and sustainability .

What countries or jurisdictions have regulations concerning additives in salmon feed?

In **Canada**, the regulation of salmon feed additives is overseen by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and Health Canada.

In **Canada**, the regulation of salmon feed additives is overseen by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and Health Canada.

In **Canada**, the regulation of salmon feed additives is overseen by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and Health Canada.

All fish farms must implement sea lice management plans, with strict limits on lice per fish during critical periods, and are required to publicly report lice counts monthly .

The Canadian government is also working with industry to develop transition plans that include environmental sustainability metrics and the adoption of new technologies such as IMTA .

Title:

Content: World’s Largest Insect Farm to Open in France

Once fully operational, the massive vertical farm will produce 200,000 tonnes of insect-based ingredients a year.

Ÿnsect, one of the world’s largest insect rangers, is betting big on bugs to help push the world in a more sustainable direction.

Founded in 2011, the company is fast approaching its goal of opening the world’s largest insect farm and dramatically scaling up its operations. Located about an hour north of Paris, the state-of-the-art facility will leverage automated systems and vertical farming techniques to raise mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) and enable the production of over 200,000 tonnes of insect-based ingredients per year. The site, estimated to be completed by the end of 2022, will join two other Ÿnsect facilities already operational in France and the Netherlands.

"It’s an automated warehouse, very similar to an Amazon warehouse, where instead of storing stuff, we are storing live insects," Ÿnsect CEO and co-founder Antoine Hubert told Time last year. "There is a climate-control system which is highly complex to maintain temperature and moisture from zero to 30 meters high. All operations are automated. Anything that you do on [an insect] farm is done with robots."

Feed for Fish, Fertilizer for Plants, Burgers for Humans

For the past decade, mealworms cultivated at Ÿnsect’s farms have been turned into powders and oils that have become nutritional additives to pet and farm feeds. Thanks to a ruling last year by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) that deemed mealworms safe for human consumption, the company has also begun selling its powders for shakes, cereal bars, pasta, and even alt-meat burgers. In addition, the shed shells of the rapidly growing mealworms are collected and sold as beneficial organic fertilizers to farmers.

According to MealFlour, a project that promotes mealworm farming as a way to battle malnutrition in Guatemala, a serving of mealworm powder is 55% protein, contains all essential amino and fatty acids, and has more iron than sirloin beef. Compared to the production of milk, pork, chicken, and beef, mealworms are also more sustainable and require fewer resources and energy.

While its recent forays into human foodstuffs have garnered attention, Ÿnsect's focus presently remains on helping to feed sustainably the animals that feed the world. For instance, aquaculture, like salmon farming, is a resource-intensive operation that uses both land-based crops (soy) and massive amounts of wild-caught fish to create what's known as fishmeal. With food production projected to have to grow by more than 70% by 2050 to meet demand, the overfishing of oceans to feed aquaculture operations is not a feasible option. Studies, such as a recent trial by NOAA, have shown that supplementing or even replacing fishmeal with insect- and plant-based foods holds promise for eliminating the need for wild-caught sources. According to Hubert, there are other positives as well.

"They [salmon] were reaching the maturity stage faster and eating less so they were avoiding a large quantity of feed," he told Fast Company in 2020. "There was less mortality so the farmers get more fish eventually than before... This also explains why we have a carbon-negative balance, because we are avoiding so many quantities of inputs to feed fish to have the same quantities of fish."

Hubert added to Fast Company that Ÿnsect has contracts worth more than $100 million with fish feed producers. This past year, with the acquisition of U.S.-based mealworm producer Jord, it also began entering new markets, such as the rapidly growing U.S. backyard chicken feed market.

A Record-Breaking Vertical Farm

One look at the animated video of Ÿnsect’s new facility up above and you can see why it’s been touted as an automated marvel. Mealworms will be reared by robots in stacked tubs stretching several stories tall. Unlike other insect food alternatives such as flies or crickets, mealworms do not hop or fly, allowing the company to maximize the space available.

In an effort to make sure the creatures are ethically farmed, Hubert reached out to philosophers from the Sorbonne University to judge their welfare. As he told The Guardian, the students determined that the mealworms had "more in common with mushroom-growing and hothousing vegetables" than with livestock.

"They have no brain in the strict sense of the word," he said. "We know they have a reflex reaction and they communicate and build intelligent structures, but nobody has shown they feel anything. However, what is important is to respect them as living organisms, which we do."

In addition to the new farm in France, Ÿnsect plans to continue to scale its operations with additional facilities, including a major site in the U.S. The biggest hurdle ahead, however, says Hubert, is making insects a normal part of everyday diets.

"I believe that the big challenge is accepting insects as part of the human diet," he told Authority Magazine. "A large part of the world's population eats insects, but we must be able to prove its properties and its benefits for the environment in order to reach more and have more impact!"

View Article Sources
  1. "Ÿnsect Welcomes European Interministerial Delegation to Amiens." Ynsect.

  2. "Why Eat Mealworms?" MealFlour.

  3. "Edible Insects." Food and Agriculture Organization.

  4. van Dijk, Michiel, et al. "A Meta-Analysis of Projected Global Food Demand and Population At Risk of Hunger for the Period 2010–2050." Nature Food, vol. 2, no. 7, 2021, pp. 494-501., doi:10.1038/s43016-021-00322-9

  5. "The Future of Fish Feed May Lie in Insects, Mold, and Algae." National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

In **China**, government initiatives aim to reduce the use of low-value wild fish in aquaculture feeds by promoting compound feeds that incorporate more sustainable, land-based ingredients .

What countries or jurisdictions have regulations concerning additives in salmon feed?

In the **United States**, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates feed additives used in aquaculture, requiring evidence of safety and efficacy before approval .

What countries or jurisdictions have regulations concerning additives in salmon feed?

What countries or jurisdictions have regulations concerning antibiotics in farmes salmon?

Proposed legislation in states like Maine seeks to further tighten regulations on aquaculture practices, including feed additive management, to protect marine environments .

Title:

Content: (Bloomberg) -- In a warehouse not far from Paris, 60 million black soldier flies give birth to larvae that are scalded, ground up and used to feed salmon and shrimp. The place doesn’t smell great. Innovafeed SAS is hoping to make this the future of fish food.

The French firm recently completed an expansion of its facilities in Nesle, France, where Innovafeed has three joint buildings dedicated to egg production, rearing larvae and making bug-based fishmeal and pet food — including five floors of insect incubators. With 35,000 square meters (37,700 square feet) of floor space, Innovafeed says its plant is now the largest insect farm in the world in terms of production capacity, and has the ability to generate 15,000 tons of insect protein per year. An additional expansion, already underway, is slated for completion in 2024 and will bring the facility to 55,000 square meters of floor space.

Launched in 2016 by three engineers, two of whom were previously project leaders at McKinsey & Co., Innovafeed has raised about $450 million in funding to date, including a $250 million round last year led by the Qatar Investment Authority and joined by agriculture giants Cargill Inc. and Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. Innovafeed is using the funds to expand in France and in the US, where it’s building a plant in the farming stronghold of Decatur, Illinois.

“The sovereign funds were ready to bet on us for the long term, as well as our industry partners,” said Innovafeed co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Clement Ray. “Not so much VCs, who expect a quicker return.” Ray said the company has already secured €1 billion ($1.1 billion) in contracts for its products over the next 10 years.

Interest in insect protein is rising alongside growing scrutiny of meat’s environmental impact. Insect-based fishmeal is more nutritious and has a lower carbon footprint than traditional fishmeal, which is itself a fish derivative that often come from Peru and Chile. About 30% of all fish catch is being transformed into fishmeal, said Innovafeed co-founder Aude Guo.

To further curtail its emissions, Innovafeed’s Nesle facility uses wheat byproducts from a neighboring starch factory to feed the flies, and waste heat from a biomass plant nearby to grant its insects a 30C room temperature. The larvae manure is also dried and transformed into fertilizer, and an insect-oil byproduct of Innovafeed’s process is used in poultry and swine feed.

While significant relative to the size of the insect-protein industry, the Innovafeed plant’s 15,000-ton annual output is still dwarfed by the production of traditional fishmeal, which averages around 5 million tons a year globally, according to the European Commission. “This business requires [mastering] fields such as genetics, biology, automation and data analysis,” Guo said, noting that the company had to spend more than $100 million to enter the business.

Innovafeed is focused on fishmeal and pet food, but other companies are also betting on bugs to feed people. Ynsect SAS, another French farming startup, has raised $625 million to develop insect protein to be used in fertilizer, animal feed and food for humans. French President Emmanuel Macron’s government has also pushed green technology as a way to create jobs.

“France had a long industrial tradition, and abandoned it these past four decades, losing 2 million jobs,” Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said at the inauguration of the Innovafeed plant on April 21. The Nesle facility has 110 employees.

©2023 Bloomberg L.P.

What countries or jurisdictions have regulations concerning additives in salmon feed?

What countries or jurisdictions have regulations concerning antibiotics in farmes salmon?

**Regional differences** in feed additive practices are shaped by local regulations, resource availability, and market demands.

**Regional differences** in feed additive practices are shaped by local regulations, resource availability, and market demands.

**Regional differences** in feed additive practices are shaped by local regulations, resource availability, and market demands.

For example, China is actively promoting compound feeds to reduce reliance on wild-caught fish, while Norway, Chile, and Canada are incorporating more alternative proteins and plant-based ingredients in response to sustainability concerns and regulatory pressures .

Title:

Content: BC Salmon Farmers respond to in-person consultations with Minister Murray

Maryam Farag

News Regulations aquaculture BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCFSA) British Columbia canada fish farming

BC Salmon Farmers had the opportunity to meet with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard (DFO) Minister Joyce Murray last week. Throughout the week, the Minister met with various salmon farming companies and other members of the BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) and toured several salmon farming facilities across Vancouver Island.

In addition to the tours, productive meetings were held between salmon farmers, suppliers, and the Minister, where she expressed her interest in co-developing a transition plan with the sector “that will provide a range of metrics and tools to meet environmental objectives and protect wild salmon.”

“Salmon farming is continuously evolving, improving, and innovating, which can come as a surprise to those outside of the farming community. It was a pleasure to meet with the Minister and her team to not only discuss these improvements but showcase them, as she visited several farm sites and a hatchery,” said Ruth Salmon, interim executive director for the BCSFA.

“It was heartening to hear that the Minister is seeking to work with us to support the development of the Transition Framework. In order to successfully drive further innovation and technology adoption, there needs to be flexibility to allow for various pathways. The ecosystems in which we operate, as well as the priorities of the Nations in whose territories we operate are diverse. We need to have a full suite of tools and options available to ensure we are meeting the expectations of the Nations, protecting wild salmon populations, and providing healthy and sustainable meals,” said Salmon.

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While the salmon farming sector is fully committed to working with the Minister to develop this transition plan, it does have concerns about the rushed timeline that Minister Murray has set for this process. The short time frame set for consultations on the farmed salmon production areas in the territories of the Laich-kwil-tach, which has been referred to in the past as the Discovery Islands region, are of particular concern.

“The farms in these areas, are critical to the future of the sector, as well as to those First Nations who view salmon farming as a means to socio-economic stability for their communities. Given the importance of the production areas within the Laich-kwil-tach territories, our sector stresses the importance of those First Nations to be integrated into the larger discussion of the Transition Plan, instead of being addressed as a separate region,” added Salmon.

BC Salmon Farmers stated that they look forward to additional dialogue with the Minister around these important issues, as well as the opportunity to host more farming and processing tours in the future.

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What countries or jurisdictions have regulations concerning additives in salmon feed?

What countries or jurisdictions have regulations concerning additives in salmon feed?

The EU maintains some of the strictest standards globally, particularly regarding the use of antibiotics and environmental protection .

What countries or jurisdictions have regulations concerning additives in salmon feed?

What countries or jurisdictions have regulations concerning antibiotics in farmes salmon?

What countries or jurisdictions have regulations concerning additives in salmon feed?

What countries or jurisdictions have regulations concerning antibiotics in farmes salmon?

In Canada, additional measures such as not renewing fish farm licenses in sensitive areas and supporting habitat restoration reflect a comprehensive approach to managing both farmed and wild salmon populations .

Title:

Content: Lawmakers in Maine -- home to aquaculture producer Cooke and land-based yellowtail farmer Kingfish --are continuing to call for stricter regulations when it comes to current and future aquaculture leases.

The latest set of proposals come from Maine Democratic Sen. Nicole Grohoski, who has two bills in the works aimed at regulating the industry.

The first proposal from Grohoski would ask the state's Commissioner of Marine Resources to not issue a lease for marine finfish aquaculture if the stocking density exceeds 22 kilograms per cubic meter or if the biomass exceeds 780 metric tons. The measure would also apply to current leases under the current version of the bill.

That bill is scheduled to have a public hearing on Thursday.

"Arbitrarily changing stocking limits through legislation may simply restrict a producer’s ability to introduce new technologies and innovative equipment which otherwise enables aquaculture farms to operate even more sustainably," Joel Richardson, Cooke's vice president of public relations, told IntraFish.

If passed, he added, any existing or future fish farming companies in Maine would be impacted by the legislation.

While Richardson did not comment on the stocking densities at Cooke's salmon aquaculture facilities in Maine, the state's Department of Marine Resources lists the company as having 24 licenses active aquaculture leases in the state.

"The salmon farms of today have improved significantly from the farms of decades ago," Richardson said. "In our experience, some legislative changes can be counterproductive and do not typically keep up with the rapid pace of technological advancement in the aquaculture sector.

"One of the key reasons why Maine has been successful in aquaculture growth is that the state, academia, industry and communities work collaboratively to establish the associated regulatory policy and legislation."

The lawmaker's other active bill would direct the state's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to review state laws and rules regulating the licensing of waste discharges from proposed finfish aquaculture facilities, including any waste discharge modeling requirements or standards.

“On-water finfish farming is not what it was decades ago," the senator said of the legislation in a statement, adding she was working to protect both the state's coast and the livelihoods of its lobstermen.

"Nor are our coastal marine environments as healthy as they once were. This bill will move Maine in the right direction as we ensure our regulations are up to date with modern practices, so we can protect the health of our cold, clean waters.”

That bill received a divided committee report, with nine members in favor and four against, reported the local news site Mount Deseret Islander. A majority vote is needed to move the bill out of committee for House and Senate review, the news site said.

The latest of many

This is not the first time this year that strict measures have been proposed by Maine legislators for aquaculture. In March, a measure brought forward by a different Maine senator sought to place strict new regulations on land-based aquaculture facilities in the state.

While that proposal died in committee following significant industry outcry, the state's aquaculture industry remains on edge, with local opposition from residents and lawmakers having the ability to significantly hinder projects.

"As with many bills you see proposed, while it may not directly impact all aquaculture producers, they can set a precedent for unreasonable regulations in future," Megan Sorby, an operations manager for Maine's land-based yellowtail producer The Kingfish Company, told IntraFish of legislation such as Sen. Grohoski's.

She pointed to the senator's proposal to limit stocking densities as being in conflict with the current regulatory decisions, which are "driven by the unique environmental conditions at each farm site and the sites’ ability to process the nutrients coming out of the farm."

"Each site is different and Maine’s environmental monitoring regime is designed to help the farmer determine the appropriate biomass that will not exceed the sites carrying capacity and harm the environment," she said.

"This is trying to impose a 'one size fits all' approach, which would eliminate the existing robust analysis that is currently part of the regulatory framework."

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In summary, the landscape of salmon feed additives is evolving rapidly, driven by the dual imperatives of optimizing fish health and growth while minimizing environmental and public health risks.

In summary, the landscape of salmon feed additives is evolving rapidly, driven by the dual imperatives of optimizing fish health and growth while minimizing environmental and public health risks.

In summary, the landscape of salmon feed additives is evolving rapidly, driven by the dual imperatives of optimizing fish health and growth while minimizing environmental and public health risks.

Common additives include fishmeal, fish oil, plant proteins, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and coloring agents, while emerging ingredients such as insect meal, seaweed, and fish by-products are gaining prominence for their sustainability benefits.

Common additives include fishmeal, fish oil, plant proteins, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and coloring agents, while emerging ingredients such as insect meal, seaweed, and fish by-products are gaining prominence for their sustainability benefits.

Health concerns focus on contaminants, antibiotic resistance, nutritional variability, and ecological impacts.

Health concerns focus on contaminants, antibiotic resistance, nutritional variability, and ecological impacts.

Regulatory frameworks in major salmon-producing regions are increasingly stringent, emphasizing sustainability, transparency, and consumer safety.

Regulatory frameworks in major salmon-producing regions are increasingly stringent, emphasizing sustainability, transparency, and consumer safety.

Regulatory frameworks in major salmon-producing regions are increasingly stringent, emphasizing sustainability, transparency, and consumer safety.

As a nutritionist, understanding these dynamics is essential for guiding clients toward informed choices regarding farmed salmon products, balancing nutritional benefits with considerations of sustainability and food safety [dc60dd71_