Veramaris and Manolin utilized big data collected from over 232 million fish and 99 farms and the 'Harpoon' platform to analyze the effects of Omega-3 (EPA & DHA) levels in fish feed on salmon performance, revealing that higher levels enhance harvest quality and farm profitability.

Scientific research on essential fatty acids in fish nutrition has evolved rapidly. Determining their role in commercial salmon farming, however, has been a challenge. Veramaris, in collaboration with Manolin, has pioneered the use of big data in this domain, targeting insights into Omega-3 (EPA & DHA) content in commercial aquafeed and its ramifications on fish performance, quality, health, and welfare.

Earlier this year, Veramaris partnered with Manolin to investigate feed and farm data. Using their 'Harpoon' aquaculture research data intelligence platform, Manolin carried out a comprehensive analysis across numerous Norwegian production zones. The objective? To understand the effects of dietary EPA & DHA levels on farmed salmon performance. 

“Our platform has collected data from more than 900 generations of farm salmon, producing insights for the aquaculture industry and demonstrating the immense potential of leveraging data intelligence in aquaculture research. In addition, our anonymous and unbiased data is well-placed for industry collaborations such as this one with Veramaris,” said Tony Chen, CEO of Manolin.

Committed to optimizing fish nutrition, Veramaris has provided guidance on the utilization of their algal oil Omega-3 product. As Ian Carr, Senior Director for Global Business Development at Veramaris, stated, “We started by studying performance in research conditions before progressing to individual commercial farm sites, but the study allows us to go so much deeper than this.”

The implications are substantial. Not only does the study provide insights into fish performance in commercial settings, but the data also showed that salmon feed with above-average EPA & DHA levels led to significant improvements, including a 76% increase in superior harvests. This positively impacts feed performance and farm profitability.

As Yann Le Gal, Global Business Development Manager at Veramaris, remarked, “The results, which used data from some 232 million fish, have deepened our understanding of the impact of EPA & DHA levels on the performance of farmed salmon.”

By using Veramaris’ Optimum Omega Nutrition (OON) guidelines with natural marine algal oil, fish farmers can ensure heightened fish welfare and performance without overburdening the oceans.

Both companies shared their early findings at the AquaNor conference in Trondheim, Norway. For a detailed account of the study, readers can visit https://content.manolinaqua.com/veramaris-customer-story.