Researchers play a crucial role in driving innovation and competitiveness in the industry, particularly those who collaborate closely with the sector. One such researcher is Margareth Øverland, whose extensive experience has significantly influenced the field of aquaculture nutrition.
Growing up on a dairy and pig farm in Western Norway, next to one of the country's pioneering salmon farmers, it was natural for Margareth to develop a passion for animal farming. Her curiosity about animal nutrition deepened during her eight years in the U.S., where she earned an MSc in animal nutrition from Montana State University under the mentorship of Walter Newman. He encouraged her to pursue a career in research, shaping her future path.
Upon returning to Norway, she worked at Norsk Hydro, focusing on alternatives to in-feed antibiotics. This led to the approval of potassium diformate, the first alternative to in-feed antibiotics in Europe. Later, as the center director of the Aquaculture Protein Center, she spearheaded efforts to find fishmeal alternatives and contributed to the early research on bacterial meal in aquafeeds, paving the way for commercial solutions like Calysta.
Today, Margareth is a professor of aquaculture nutrition at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and the Center Director of the Center for Research-based Innovation (CRI), Foods of Norway. Her work remains focused on developing sustainable solutions that the aquafeed industry can implement.
“What drives me is the opportunity to contribute to a future where aquaculture can grow sustainably—where high-quality, renewable, and circular feed ingredients are part of the solution. That mission continues to inspire me every day,” she said in an interview with Aquafeed.com.
Alternative proteins for future aquafeeds
One of the biggest challenges the aquafeed industry is facing is securing sustainable, scalable feed ingredients that reduce reliance on imported plant-based proteins that lead to pressure on natural resources and competition for human food. “To ensure sustainable growth, we need to rethink how we produce feed. The key lies in developing innovative solutions that not only lower environmental impact but also improve fish health and welfare,” Margareth said.
Margareth highlights microbial ingredients (MIs) such as fungi, yeast, and bacteria as promising protein sources for aquafeeds. These ingredients offer high nutritional value, year-round production from non-food biomass and waste gases through carbon capture, and a lower environmental footprint than conventional proteins.
One microbial ingredient she has worked extensively with is the microbial protein Pekilo (Paecilomyces variotii), derived from forestry side streams. It reduces the environmental impact of salmon farming and is well-accepted by salmon.
“Our trials showed that moderate inclusion levels of Pekilo support good growth, improve feed utilization—leading to lower nitrogen and phosphorus emissions—and enhance gut health. By incorporating such circular feed ingredients, we can make salmon farming more sustainable while maintaining fish health and performance,” she explained. In a new project, called Forest Feed, her team will run larger trials including pathogen challenge tests.
This innovation has led to the establishment of a factory producing Pekilo a reality. In collaboration with the Finnish company Enifer, Bio3 will scale up Pekilo production to 30,000 tons per year at Averøy, Norway, starting this year. “Projects like this help Norway achieve greater self-sufficiency in feed raw materials,” Margareth stated.
Besides microbial proteins, poultry byproduct meal (PBM) is another sustainable option, repurposing industry byproducts into high-quality feed. “We have shown that feeding PBM to salmon supports fish growth, welfare, and fillet quality while reducing reliance on imports and lowering the environmental footprint of salmon production. Both MIs and PBM contribute to a more circular and sustainable aquaculture industry,” she added.
Balancing sustainability with cost-effectiveness
While novel ingredients promise sustainability, their production remains capital-intensive. However, Margareth believes the aquafeed industry can adopt sustainable practices without escalating costs.
“Diversifying feedstocks, utilizing agricultural and aquaculture side-streams, and leveraging carbon capture technologies will help increase production volumes. A clear regulatory framework for alternative feedstocks would also accelerate market adoption and investment,” she notes.
She emphasizes the potential of underutilized poultry and fish byproducts, which are available in large volumes and possess excellent nutritional profiles for aquafeeds.
Energy efficiency is another key factor. “With rising energy prices, optimizing energy use and exploring industrial symbiosis can reduce costs,” she explains, referencing the Pekilo project, which integrates multiple production facilities to maximize efficiency and sustainability. “This project not only is building an ingredient production facility next door to a feed mill. One facility would produce Pekilo, the other would convert CO2 into bacteria, and the other would take the energy surplus to produce vegetables for human consumption. Moreover, they have access to renewable energy. This can be a profitable project in the long term that would reduce Norway’s reliance on imports,” Margareth said.
Functional feeds for fish health and welfare
With increasing disease outbreaks and environmental stressors, functional feeds are crucial. “Genomics, vaccines, good management but mainly functional feeds are key to reducing mortality rates. Innovative feed solutions and nutritional programming that enhance immune function and resilience can help mitigate these issues and improve overall farm performance,” Margareth stated.
Her team is working on next-generation bioactives, specifically developing bioactives from brown algae Saccharina latissimi. “Seaweed thrives in harsh marine conditions and contains bioactive compounds with unique protective properties,” she explained.
One such compound, fucoidan, has shown immunomodulatory, antiviral, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties. “We found that incorporating fucoidan in functional feeds activates key immune responses, promoting a more robust defense against pathogens. It also supported gut health by fostering beneficial bacteria, contributing to a healthier digestive system. Additionally, we observed that fucoidan reduced mortality in fish exposed to live pathogens, underscoring its role in improving fish welfare and sustainability in aquaculture,” she said.
The role of new technologies
Advanced data analytics, sensor technology, and AI-driven models are transforming aquafeed formulation. “Precision nutrition ensures fish receive optimal nutrients, improving feed efficiency and reducing environmental impact,” she explained.
AI and automation are also revolutionizing feed manufacturing. “By continuously monitoring variables like temperature, pressure, and moisture levels, AI optimizes feed processing in real-time. This enhances efficiency, reduces costs, and ensures feed quality consistency,” she added.
AI can further optimize feed distribution by predicting demand, preventing overfeeding, and reducing waste. “By accounting for growth stages, environmental conditions, and feeding patterns, AI improves fish growth while minimizing feed spill and environmental impact,” she noted.
Challenges in research and industry collaboration
One of the biggest obstacles for researchers is securing funding. “The funding landscape is highly competitive. Whether in Norway or through EU channels, we’re often looking at success rates under 10%, even when the proposals are judged to be of the highest quality,” Margareth said.
“What makes it even harder is that in Norway, we’re constantly competing for limited resources, with sectors like defense, renewable energy, and health often getting more attention. While those fields are important, aquaculture plays a central role in addressing global food security, climate change, and economic resilience—as well as the role aquaculture will continue to play in Norway’s economic future—and it’s tough when that’s not fully recognized in the funding landscape,” she said.
She also points to a lack of long-term funding. “Norway has been a global leader in aquaculture technology, and training young scientists is essential for maintaining that leadership. But the truth is, the funding constraints we’re facing right now are a real threat to our position. If we don’t continue to invest in research and nurture the next generation of experts, we risk losing our edge to other countries, and the strides we’ve made in sustainable aquaculture could stall,” Margareth stated.
Another hurdle is the industry's reluctance to fund long-term studies. “Companies often prioritize short-term returns and immediate solutions. Long-term research requires sustained investment, which can be harder to justify when there are pressing market demands,” she said.
Despite these challenges, Margareth remains committed to bridging academia and industry. “It’s rewarding to generate good scientific articles, but what drives me is to see research being implemented in the industry, making a real impact.”
Looking ahead: A more circular and sustainable aquafeed industry
Starting with young researchers, she advises them to focus on sustainability, circular economy principles, and the potential of AI. “Taking a multidisciplinary approach to the challenges in aquaculture will be crucial for finding innovative solutions. It’s also essential to keep in mind the importance of not wasting resources, polluting, or losing millions of fish. We have a responsibility to make aquaculture more sustainable, and that means being forward-thinking and finding ways to minimize environmental impact while ensuring efficiency and growth,” she said.
Margareth’s primary goal is to develop sustainable, high-quality protein sources to support future sustainable growth in the aquaculture sector. “Protein is the most critical and costly part of fish feed, making up about 50-60% of feed value. With limited fishmeal available and the industry heavily dependent on imports, the industry needs to develop alternative local feed raw materials and set sustainability standards on the imports,” she said.
The challenge lies in ensuring these ingredients provide consistent, high-quality nutrition, are cost-efficient, have a low environmental footprint and can be produced or supplied in large enough quantities to meet industry demand.
“The key to future feed formulation will be expanding the range of feed raw materials. To achieve successful formulations, we need to understand the nutrient content and the nutritional value of these raw materials and the nutrient requirement of the fish so we can accurately formulate diets to match the requirements. Balancing protein levels is crucial—too little protein or an imbalanced amino acid composition can reduce growth and feed efficiency, while too much protein increases costs and environmental impacts. Ultimately, it's about finding that optimal balance to support sustainable growth, minimize waste, and ensure a more environmentally friendly feed system for the future,” she said.
In the next 5-10 years, she anticipates a shift toward circular proteins in aquafeeds. “As competition for natural resources grows—driven by the rising demand for biofuels and biobased products—, we will increasingly rely on side streams, waste gases, and plant byproducts. Microbial proteins and bioactive compounds will also play a greater role,” she predicted.
“With novel advancements in technology, we’ll also be able to enhance low-value plant byproducts that don’t compete with human food, ensuring they meet the nutritional demands of aquaculture species like salmon. Additionally, genetically modified organisms (GMO) solutions could play an important role in improving the efficiency and nutritional value of feed ingredients,” she said.
“The future of fish feeds will be different from today. With increasing competition for natural resources, feed production will shift towards greater use of plant byproducts, food waste, agricultural and marine side streams, and gases, driven by technological advancements,” Margareth concluded.
