Seeding Food Innovation - Awarded Project 2017

Improving Aquaculture Feed Sustainability through Use of Genetically Engineered Oils

Project Description

Aquaculture will be instrumental in maintaining global food security in the future: up to 40 million metric tonnes of seafood will be required by 2030 to feed the growing human population, and over 60% of seafood will come from aquaculture. Some of the main nutritional benefits of seafood are the omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, namely eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and which have critical roles in cardiovascular and neurological health. Farmed fish also have a nutritional requirement for EPA and DHA. Normally these nutrients are supplied to farmed fish from fish oil, which is harvested from wild fisheries. However, wild stocks are over exploited; therefore, using fish oil in aquaculture is no longer sustainable. In addition, terrestrial plant oils do not normally contain EPA and DHA, so vegetable oils cannot replace fish oil. However, as a solution to this, oilseeds have recently been genetically engineered (GE) to produce EPA and DHA. This represents a new sustainable source of these nutrients, which could be used to raise farmed fish to meet our growing need for seafood. The goal of this project is to evaluate GE oil as a new sustainable source of EPA and DHA to feed farmed fish.

Relevance to the field of food innovation

Fish are a main source of EPA and DHA for humans, and which are nutrients that are critical to our heart and brain health. This new technology has developed a high quality, sustainable, renewable and reliable source of these omega-3s. This work will determine if GE oil is a healthy source of EPA and DHA to farmed fish, which in turn can positively affect our health, particularly the brain. Farming fish using a sustainable source of EPA and DHA will help alleviate pressure on wild fish stocks, and using our ocean resources in a more environmentally-sustainable manner.

Anticipated outcome

The proposed work is an innovative way of supplying an essential nutrient to farmed fish. First, this project will contribute to sustainably farmed seafood that is a healthy and satisfying source of nutrients for Canadians. Second, this project will help reduce dependency on wild fisheries by minimizing (or even replacing) the amount of fish oil used in feeds. This supports marine conservation which is important because, in general, healthy oceans support and benefit Canadians and other citizens of other nations. Third, this project will help reduce feed costs, which will make farmed seafood a more affordable option for Canadians. In general, this research will help improve the environmental sustainability of aquaculture and ensure quality seafood for Canadians.

Grantees:

 

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