Fish feed producers BioMar Group and Skretting each acknowledged that it is part of their role to help salmon farming grow sustainably, and that pressure over environmental concerns does filter down to them. 

“It used to be the case that the main concern for the feed company was cost per kilogram,” BioMar UK commercial manager Nick Bradbury told Undercurrent News. 

“Now we cater to organic, Label Rouge; growth rate is vital. Farmers are willing to pay more for feed if it can help their fish reach market size quicker, as that reduced risk at sea is valuable.” 

“We’re very aware of the debate around sustainability,” he added. 

His firm has products which help salmon resist sea lice, and to support fish through treatment by, for instance, Thermolicer. It is also now doing significant volumes of “Symbio”, a block of feed which goes into salmon pens to feed the cleaner fish which share their space. “Volumes of that are high now, there must be some in every pen on the [Scottish] west coast.” 

Skretting has also looked at feed for cleaner fish, Jamie Johnston, hatchery technical sales advisor, told Undercurrent. “We’ve seen amazing results with cleaner fish, and of course if they can help a farmer avoid one sea lice treatment in a growout cycle then they’ve paid for themselves.” 

Source: Undercurrent News // Original Article