Norway is the world’s leading producer of Atlantic salmon, with an estimated 1.2 million tonnes produced in 2021. However, growth in the Norwegian market is expected to continue, with plans aiming to produce approximately 5 million tonnes of salmon by 2050, implying a significant increase in the market for aquafeeds. Considering this, the aquaculture industry faces a substantial challenge in sourcing sustainable and reasonably priced feed raw materials.
Future challenges for alternative feed ingredients for aquaculture include sustainably developing oceans while reducing reliance on the human food chain for seafood production. Many ocean species, especially on lower trophic levels, are either not harvested or are only marginally utilized. One of these species is Calanus finmarchicus, a protein and lipid-rich zooplankton in large amounts in the North Atlantic Ocean. Calanus processing currently produces three primary by-products: oil, powder, and hydrolysate. Although the production volume is currently relatively small, they have the potential (estimated biomass of 290 million tonnes) to support the sustainable, local expansion of Norwegian salmon aquaculture.
In this study , we use life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental effects of Calanus by-products for use in the Norwegian aquafeed market. The results (Table 1 ) show that regarding economic allocation, Calanus oil has the most significan t impact on the various categories, primari ly due to the combustion of fossil fuels required for harvesting, freezing on board, and transportation to the port. The findings highlight the need to improve the efficiency of Calanus harvesting, as literary evidence suggests that Calanus fisheries lag far behind other fishing in terms of efficiency. Furthermore, the results show that packaging-related processes significantly impact the hydrolysate and powder by-products.
Furthermore, the scenario analysis revealed that the allocation method and electricity mix assumption (hydropower vs fossil fuel) significantly impact the analysis’s results. In the electricity mix assumption, the geographic location of the processing facilities is an important consideration. Finally, it was found that Calanus by-products could be a more environmentally sustainable alternative protein and oil than other traditional feeds derived from soy or similar krill by-products for the Norwegian market.
However, being an environmentally friendly alternative does not automatically make Calanus a preferred alternative feed ingredient. Based on the data from regional feed producers and experts, we further elaborate on possible barriers in using Calanus finmarchicus as a resource in Norwegian salmon aquaculture.
Funding : This investigation is part of an industry-academic collaborative research project (CalaFeed) funded by the Norwegian Research Council (NRC).