Fish oils can be ‘grown’ on land

Researchers at Rothamsted Research in the U.K. have announced the results of a field-scale experiment growing the oilseed plant, Camelina sativa (also known as false flax), which has been genetically modified to make in their seeds the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils.
Reporting their work in the journal Metabolic Engineering Communications, Professor Johnathan Napier and his colleagues highlight that this is the first demonstration of field stability of the important omega-3 trait in transgenic plants and it demonstrates the feasibility of using agriculture to make fish oils.


Omega-3 fatty acids are important for human health
Medical doctors acknowledge that the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are beneficial components in the human diet, reducing the risk of death caused by coronary artery disease. The main sources of these compounds are marine fish, either wild or farmed. The fish accumulate these omega-3 oils by feeding either on other organisms in the food chain or, for farmed fish, through fishmeal and fish oil in feed.


Relieving pressure on fish oil supplies
According to the Marine Ingredients Organisation, IFFO, in 2012, the annual global production of fishmeal and fish oil is around five million tons of meal and one million tons of oil, the majority of which is derived from small fish like anchovy, menhaden, sardines and sandeels, which are not popular for direct human consumption.
Concerns over declining wild fish stocks have helped fuel the growth in aquaculture and hence, also the demand for farmed fish feeds, putting even more pressure on supplies of fish meal and fish oils from wild catches.
So the successful cultivation of an oilseed crop to help relieve pressure on fish oil supplies is welcome news and offers the potential for a more sustainable source of these oils for aquaculture feeds as well as human nutrition.
“We are delighted with the results of our first-year field trial,” commented one of the authors of the paper, Dr. Olga Sayanova, the senior Rothamsted Researcher who developed the GM Camelina plants. “Finding a land-based source of feedstocks containing omega-3 fish oils has long been an urgent priority for truly sustainable aquaculture. Our results give hope that oilseed crops grown on land can contribute to improving the sustainability of the fish farming industry and the marine environment in the future.”


Salmon feed trials planned
There are no plans to test the oils produced in the field-scale Camelina trial to fish, according to Rothamsted Research. However, oils extracted from similar plants grown in the greenhouses are being tested for salmon. The project, funded mainly by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) in the U.K. and BioMar Ltd., involves Napier and Professor Douglas Tocher at the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling.
Camelina meal in diets for poultry, farm livestock
Non-GM camelina meal is approved by the FDA for use in feeds for broilers, layers and beef cattle and earlier this year, it was authorized for the first time in Canada for broiler diets.
The oil has been shown to improve pig meat quality.

Fishmeal, fish oil conference looks at role of aquaculture in feeding the world

Arni Mathieson of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization was one of the featured speakers at the 2011 IFFO conference.

The International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organization held its annual conference October 16-20, 2011, in Lima, Peru, with record-breaking attendance. The title of the conference was “The Role of Marine Ingredients in Feeding the World.”
The conference featured a number of notable speakers, including, among others, Peruvian Prime Minister Salomón Lerner Ghitis, and Arni Mathiesen of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
Key messages from the conference were as follows:

• If aquaculture is to fulfill its potential to ease world food shortages, then good governance and responsible development are essential.
• For the small pelagic and fishmeal sector, this includes rights-based management of fisheries that will improve product quality and open up more market opportunities for human consumption.
• Expansion of aquaculture offers huge opportunities for developing countries which can improve governance and increase responsible practice.

Some facts and figures presented at the conference included:

• 66% of the world’s middle class will be living in Asia Pacific by 2030
• Forecast GDP growth rate in China and Vietnam for 2016 is 30%
• Number of undernourished people in the world in 2010 was 925 million
• Proportion of the world population with fish-related livelihoods and well-being is 8%

A conference report with an overview of individual presentations is available.
The International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organization represents the fishmeal and fish oil industry worldwide. IFFO’s members come from more than 30 countries and account for about 60% of world production and 80% of fishmeal and fish oil traded worldwide.

International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organisation holds annual conference

The IFFO annunal conference in session.

The International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organisation (IFFO) held its annual conference in Beijing with the prevailing theme of "Responsibility, Value and Health."
Approximately 350 delegates from 36 different countries attended the event. Three seminars focused on industry developments in Asia, pointing out the importance of sustainability and innovation. Other conference topics included responsible sourcing, standards and certification, industry growth and product impact on both direct consumers and the feed industry.
The 2011 conference will be held in Lima, Peru.