Utilisation of the valuable EPA and DHA from limited marine resources

When salmon are fed traditional diets based on fish meal and fish oil, the valuable VLCn-3 fatty acids (EPA+DHA) are provided in surplus. As a consequence 70% of the EPA+DHA provided in the fish oil diet is used for energy production and only 30% are retained in the body of salmon. In contrast, when salmon were fed a vegetable oil blend diet only 30% of the EPA+DHA was lost and 70% of these valuable fatty acids were retained in the salmon body during the growth period from 75g to 2.5 kg. By replacing fish oil with vegetable oil blends in salmon diets the valuable marine n-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are then being significantly more efficiently utilised, and a much higher proportion of the globally available EPA+DHA reach the consumers through salmon farming.