• Veramaris has sold the most fish-free omega-3 EPA & DHA and ARA of all aquaculture ingredient suppliers
• World’s #1 salmon farmer Mowi, Yuehai Feed Group, and, AlphaFeed committed to use Veramaris’ natural marine algal oil in new trial feeds.
• The Future of Fish Feed (F3) is an initiative to accelerate innovation in aquaculture feed, supported by USA’s leading NGOs, including The Nature Conservancy

Thanks to pioneering Norwegian salmon farmers rapidly adopting Veramaris’ natural marine algal oil, Veramaris outperformed its competition in the “F3 Fish Oil Challenge”. Veramaris sold the largest amount of “fish-free” algal oil rich in EPA & DHA omega-3 and ARA (arachidonic acid) that meets the nutritional requirements of fish.

The F3 Fish Oil Challenge is a $200,000 prize to accelerate commercial-scale adoption of alternative feed ingredients that reduce the industry’s reliance on wild-caught fish and help aquaculture to continue producing healthy seafood for consumers. According to F3 calculations, the EPA, DHA, and ARA volumes sold by Veramaris are equivalent to nearly 90% of the 2 billion fish conserved through the challenge.

The Veramaris volumes were predominantly produced at two pilot facilities in Slovakia and the US. On July 10th this year, Veramaris opened its world-scale facility in Blair, Nebraska to keep up with increasing demand for omega-3 EPA and DHA. The capacity at the Blair site can cover 15% of the global salmon aquaculture’s need for these essential fatty acids that up until now were sourced from the oceans.

Industry leaders such as the world’s largest salmon farmer Mowi, as well as Yuehai Feed Group and AlphaFeed have committed to trial Veramaris’ winning algal oil, rich in omega-3 EPA and DHA – a testament to a strong commitment to sustainability.

“I have to thank those courageous leaders along the entire value chain for their collaboration and for taking significant steps to ensure a continued sustainable future for aquaculture”, says Veramaris CEO Karim Kurmaly during the award ceremony at Global Aquaculture’s Alliance GOAL conference in Chennai, India.

Veramaris, founded by DSM and Evonik, excels at providing the aquaculture industry a high-quality source of EPA, DHA, and ARA, thereby removing a bottleneck for future growth and performance of the entire industry. A recent study by the Norwegian research institution Nofima proved that high levels of omega-3 EPA and DHA in salmon diets resulted in significantly improved fish survival, growth, coloration, and welfare.

The Future of Fish Feed was launched in 2015 as a collaborative effort by NGOs, researchers, and private partnerships to accelerate the commercialization of aquaculture innovations to alleviate pressure on the oceans. The F3 Challenge is sponsored by The University of Arizona, University of Massachusetts Boston, Cuna del Mar, Synbiobeta, Anthropocene Institute, Dawson Family Fund, Sustainable Ocean Alliance, The Nature Conservancy, The Campbell Foundation, Tides Foundation, and The National Renderers Association.