The QMAR project - Unlocking the nutritional and technical Quality potential of MARine by-products in sustainable salmonid feeds - is a business innovation project for the industrial sector that is set to commence in January 2017. It is being supported by the Research Council of Norway, and has been granted funding up to a maximum limit of NOK 16 million spread over a four-year period.
QMAR will address sustainable growth in the aquaculture industry. This growth is challenged, on one hand, by ensuring environmentally responsible growth and by creating efficient exploitation of under-utilised marine raw materials. On the other hand sustainable growth will require formulation of future feeds that support high fish performance and welfare, requiring more basic and practical knowledge of metabolic functions in fish and marine meal properties.
According to Hanne Jorun Sixten, Senior Researcher at BioMar\'s global R&D Nutrition Requirements Group and QMAR project manager, the project will enable BioMar and its partners to develop ingredients and feed products based on by-products of marine raw materials. In addition, work will be conducted on understanding the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of components based on marine raw materials.
\"The project will strengthen BioMar’s work on sustainability,\" Hanne Jorun Sixten said. \"Moreover, it will play a part in increasing the sustainability of both fisheries and aquaculture by creating incentives and solutions for fully exploiting the entire catch.\"
BioMar’s industrial partners in the project are Aker BioMarine, Pelagia and Norsildmel and its research partners are Nofima, the University of Bergen and the University of California Los Angeles.
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