Sustainable aquaculture feed based on novel biomass from wood by-products

Global fish production is rising, leading to an aquaculture with several sustainability challenges. In particular, demand for fish oil and fish meal in aquaculture has increased dramatically in the last two decades.

Unicellular oleaginous microorganisms, if sustainably produced, could potentially replace vegetable oil, fish oils and fish meal in aquaculture providing equally good fish growth and health parameters.

The most promising ones are oleaginous yeasts and thraustochytrids, biomass that contains omega-6 and omega-3 oils, proteins, pigments and glucans which are important components for providing optimal growth and health for fish.SAFE project aims at utilising the potential of oleaginous yeast and thraustochytrids and developing high-value oil enriched biomass containing carotenoids, astaxanthin and β-glucans for salmonid feed from wood-based materials.

The Swedish partner, SLU, will be involved in most of the WP:s but focus on developing and optimising supercritical fluid extraction of the biomass to separate lipids and carotenoids, determine β-glucan content of biomass and be responsible for fish growth trials with Arctic char.

This will allow, for the first time, to establish a new value chain from "Nordic wood resources – to –Microbial Feed Biomass" in Nordic countries which are developing wood-based bioeconomy.

SAFE will deliver a complete set of new knowledge about the effect of oleaginous microbial biomass on growth performance and health of fish.