In recent years, there have been major changes in salmon aquafeeds but the recommendations for micronutrients in the feed are still based on old or insufficient data, and this can affect the salmon's health in today's intensive production.
Salmon begins life in freshwater but eventually become saltwater fish. In other words, they have several and quite different life phases. Salmon face several challenges that can stress them and affect their health and this means that they have different nutritional requirements throughout their lifespan.
A new salmon health project, REVITALISE, will assess the optimal levels of vitamin E, folate and vitamin A in the different phases of the salmon's life cycle. Researchers will also look at the interaction between water quality and the salmon smolt's need for zinc or selenium in RAS facilities.
“The aim of the project is to find the optimal levels of selected micronutrients for farmed salmon in the different life phases, both under normal and challenging conditions. It will improve the salmon's ability to withstand stress and the fish's resistance to diseases,” said project manager Antony Philip.
REVITALISE is led by the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research in collaboration with Nofima, NMBU, Skretting ARC and MOWI and will last from 2023 to 2026. It is funded with USD 2 million from the Norwegian Fisheries and Aquaculture Industry's research funding (FHF) and USD 400,000 million from the partners.
