A mineral-rich ingredient that researchers at Nofima have extracted from fish bones has produced unexpected effects. In experiments where salmon were fed feed with the ingredient, the colour level of the salmon muscles increased considerably.

Cleaner fish are kept together with the salmon in the cages, and eat lice off the salmon. This is an important weapon in the struggle against sea lice. But lice are more like ‘snacks’ for the fish, and alone, do not contribute enough nutrition to support them. In a new project, scientists will acquire knowledge of the correct feed and the nutrition needed.

A new doctorate shows that marine omega 3 fatty acids are necessary in feed to protect the good health of farmed salmon.

It’s well-known that herring is a rich source of the healthy marine omega-3 fatty acids. Scientists at Nofima have now discovered that another fat component present in herring also promotes health.

The Aquafeed Technology Centre has been awarded NOK 30 million (3.7 mill. USD) by the Research Council of Norway, for research into fish feed. The centre will contribute to knowledge about how raw materials in the fish feed of the future can be used in the best possible way during preprocessing.

When we keep fish in aquaculture, we must be sure that the fish receive the nutrients they require for growth and good health. Scientists at Nofima have studied nutrition in aquatic animals for several decades.

At this land-based research station at Sunndalsøra with fresh water, seawater and recirculated water, we can carry out biological and technological experiments along the complete aquaculture value chain.

Feed is more than its purely nutritional content. It also concerns the dynamic needs of farmed fish, the production system of which the fish are one component, and the sustainability of the ingredients. We work to develop knowledge in this field.