Chilean salmon farmer, Multi X, is developing a project to feed salmon with insect protein to explore sustainable feed alternatives to reduce the carbon footprint of the final product. The company plans to raise 1.4 million fish that will be harvested in March 2023 at Multi X sea centers in the Magallanes Region. This project is being developed in partnership with BioMar and Food 4 the Future (F4F), a Chilean startup that produces insect meal.
It is the first salmon farmer in Chile to trial insect protein. “This project responds to different situations: first, to diversify protein sources for farmed salmon and move forward on our sustainable development path, supporting initiatives that reduce impacts throughout the entire production chain. At the same time, it allows us to have a final product with the best quality, expanding the sources used,” said Martín Hepp, Multi X farming manager.
Michael Adler, commercial manager of BioMar, highlighted the important step that Multi X is taking by incorporating this strategy on a commercial scale. “We are proud to be able to develop and promote innovative actions such as this one, which requires collaboration. They are long-term decisions and implementations, not exempt from costs or challenges, but with an eye on the future. We trust that, gradually, there will be more companies betting on this protein.”
In terms of sustainability, aquafeed with insect meal has benefits in salmon farming. “According to research carried out in different parts of the world, the product, extensively tested in farmed fish species, has proven to be highly competitive, achieving the expected nutritional performance, but also its effect as a promoter of aquaculture health, improving the immune status and antimicrobial capacity and obtaining environmental benefits, such as a significant reduction in the carbon footprint and a decrease in pressure on marine ecosystems,” added Felipe Mayol, commercial manager of F4F.
Founded in 1987, Multi X is one of the main salmon-producing companies in Chile. It produces salmon from Araucanía and the Magallanes region, and is present throughout the salmon production chain.
