Physiology shapes the happy salmon – a systems approach to sustainable feeds for stimulation of growth, welfare and survival in salmon farming

The project aims to provide solutions for a successful Atlantic salmon smolt production using novel sustainable feeds that are applicable in modern RAS-systems.

Current smolt production protocols used by industry often lead to depressed appetite and growth, impaired health and welfare of the fish, and major production loss.

We will troubleshoot smolt production bottlenecks by targeting underlying physiological mechanisms e.g. the mismatch between different tissues’ osmoregulatory capacity before transfer to seawater, following fish from the freshwater stage until they are postsmolts in seawater in both flow-through and recirculating systems.

Alternative feeds based on marine raw materials, using marine microalgae and side streams or indirectly using insects, will be tested. The project will deliver new applicable knowledge about what makes a robust smolt, fully prepared for life in seawater.

Societal impact of the project is a more ethical salmon production and increased production efficiency through innovative prototype feeds and smolt production protocols.

The team has four academic research environments from Norway, Sweden and Iceland in collaboration with industry; one large, multinational feed company, Skretting, two large salmon producers, Laxar Fiskeldi Ltd and Arctic Fish Ltd, and two SMEs, Swedish Algae Factory and Rena Hav AB.

The project will ensure a high societal engagement and by integrating an array of industry stakeholder and interaction with the public.