Marine ingredients are a fantastic source of nutrition for farm-grown fish. But, if you ask one of the world leaders in high-performance feed for the aquaculture industry, the search for novel ingredients to advance innovation and sustainability is ongoing.

This is why Danish BioMar was first to introduce the microalgae product AlgaPrime™ DHA as a sustainable alternative to marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids for use in fish feed.

The goal is to reduce the so-called Fish in – Fish out ratio, which refers to the volume of live fish required to produce enough fishmeal or fish oil to grow a unit of farmed seafood. At the same time, BioMar wants to ensure that feed for aquaculture does not compete with food supply chains for human consumption.

The first commercial feeds containing microalgae hit the markets in 2016, and by 2021 BioMar had reached one million tonnes of salmon feeds containing microalgae

As a natural source of omega fatty acids, microalgae are an obvious alternative. It is from these microalgae that fish and fish oil actually obtain their content of omega fatty acids in the first place. In other words, by formulating feed mixes with microalgae, it is possible to skip the ‘middle fish’.

Using BioMar feed mixes with AlgaPrime™ DHA, fish farms can reduce their dependence on wild fish stocks, lowering the environmental impact of their production and helping to keep more nutrients in the value chain.

The transition to more sustainable fish feed is well underway, as the first commercially available feed mix with microalgae was launched in 2016. Today, microalgae is no longer a niche ingredient – but a commercially viable choice.

A Danish manufacturer of lamella pumps uses tested technology to protect the environment and generate revenue by utilising waste from fish and shellfish processing.  

For years, JS Proputec has designed, produced and delivered pump solutions worldwide to handle waste and by-products. With their proven separation efficiency, the pumps are ideal for separating oil from the solids in seafood waste. 

The pumps are part of the system that handles and transports seafood products during processing. 

As raw materials are kept in a closed pipe system, the pumps improve hygiene while reducing odours. This capability and their compact design also mean they can replace screw conveyors, progressive cavity pumps, pressure tanks and conveyor belts.  

Additional advantages include lower energy and maintenance costs, higher capacity and fully automatic operation – reducing labour costs and the risk of injuries. 

From an environmental perspective, the use of fish waste ensures potential pollutant, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, are not released into the ocean, where they can have a negative impact on marine life   

Instead, the resulting value creation contributes to food security by providing a sustainable source of protein for animal feed. It can also help sustain the industry and support local economies where fishing is a main source of income.  

From an environmental perspective, the use of fish waste ensures potential pollutants, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, are not released into the ocean, where they can have a negative impact on marine life.  

Manual cleaning and gutting of fish is an exhausting, repetitive task for factory workers. With an automated fish gutting machine from the Danish company Carsoe, fisheries can improve working conditions for their staff while improving efficiency and capacity. 

Carsoe’s KM Mark 7 fish gutting machine is made for installation on board fishing vessels or in land-based fish factories. By increasing capacity and automating cleaning, the KM Mark 7 machine substantially enhances the fish gutting process. 

With a capacity of up to 60 fish a minute depending on fish size it can do the work of three to five operators  

The machine is characterized by an ergonomic design with height adjustable legs and smaller depth resulting in operators being able to stand closer to the machine which creates better working positions. 

Gutting length is easy to adjust while the KM Mark 7 is in operation – a feature that enables a continuous flow of fish through the thorough gutting and cleaning process, which also stands out for its low water consumption. On fishing vessels, it is valued for its space-saving design. 

Today the machine is trusted all over the world for gutting whitefish species to a high hygienic standard. Cod, saithe, hake, haddock, whiting, Alaska pollock, red cod, blue cod, southern hake, merluza, southern blue whiting and hoki are among them. 

Effective and rapid freezing of bulk and block seafood products is a must in the fishing industry. As global demand for seafood grows, traditional, non-contact freezing methods as they fall short on quality, energy efficiency and speed.

The Danish company DSI Dantech aims to meet the needed change by transforming the industry and creating cutting-edge products that benefit the environment and the customer’s budget. 

The world’s first one-stop supplier of mechanical, cryogenic and plate freezing technology, DSI Dantech delivers customised freezing solutions to processing plants and fishing vessels. Each solution is designed to freeze large quantities of fish and shellfish rapidly and consistently.  

Plate freezing has revolutionised the process with its short freezing cycle, which cuts freezing time from 18 to 36 hours to as little as two to four hours 

Applicable to bulk and packaged seafood in cartons and trays, plate freezing can be tailored to optimise the utilisation rate and minimise waste – improving profits in the process.  

Rapid freezing also prevents shrinkage and reduces enzyme activity, which can lead to biochemical and microbial changes with an impact on seafood quality. So, when the products are prepared for consumption, their appearance, aroma, taste and nutritional content are all intact. 

DSI Dantech’s range of high-tech products includes vertical plate freezers, horizontal freezers and customised automation solutions for high safety and hygiene and reduced handling. 

Even tiny changes in oxygen levels can have a negative impact in aquaculture. Fish can lose their lives in a matter of seconds, causing massive waste of resources and severe economic consequences for the fish farmer.  

The Danish company OxyGuard International has more than 35 years of experience in providing high-quality equipment for fish farmers in more than 120 countries. Their solutions cover everything from land-based aquaculture to fish transportation and offshore installations.  

OxyGuard expects the data-driven management tool to reduce feed use by 5-10%, enable traceability and provide farmers with detailed documentation of production performance

Over several years, OxyGuard has worked with fish farmers to co-develop a revolutionary, cloud-based management system called Cobália. It is designed for operations of all sizes, from the small pond farmer using a handheld oxygen meter connected to a smart phone to the biggest farms where large volumes of data are gathered from numerous sensors. 

Cobália gathers all data and presents it to the user in a way that enables a swift reaction when things start to go wrong – whether there is a problem with oxygen saturation, pH, water level or something else.  

In this way, farmers can avoid expensive and wasteful scenarios, such as a reduction in feed efficiency, high energy consumption or even fish mortality.  

Bottom trawling accounts for almost a quarter of global wild fish landings. Using conventional trawling methods means a substantially negative impact on the seabed – a problem one Danish company has tried to resolve. 

Thyborøn Trawldoors has long experience in tailoring trawldoors to the needs of pelagic, semi-pelagic and bottom fishing all over the world. One of their solutions – the Thyboron type 32 Bluestream remote-control trawl door – could be the future for fishers who struggle with bottom contact when trawling. 

The doors are fitted with an electronic device which is connected to the bridge either by hydrophones on the bottom of the vessel or by a wi-fi solution. Precision position control enables fishers to continue fishing as normal. The only change is that the trawldoors are positioned so there is little or no contact with the seabed.

This small adjustment prevents disruption of sensitive eco-systems and reduces fuel consumption at the same time

Using the specially designed trawldoors, it can support fisher’s opportunity of obtaining and maintaining Marine Stewardship Council certification. 

With the world population projected to rise considerably, and thereby demand for sustainable agriculture and food systems, crop yield is one intervention area with great potential. The demand for agricultural resources drives up the demand for crop land, potentially at the cost of deforestation and the depletion of natural resources. Improving crop efficiency can boost yields without increasing the acreage.

For crops to become more efficient, a number of factors, including improved nutrient uptake, improved genetics, and the ability to counter environmental threats are critical. When it comes to the environmental impact of crop production, all efforts are important. More efficient agriculture also means growing more with less or the same resources.

By inoculating seeds with products from Novonesis, yield increases between 3-7%

The Danish biotechnology company, Novonesis, has developed two microbial seed inoculants, Jumpstart® and Optimize®, that give crop seeds an extra edge. By treating soy, wheat, corn, forage grasses and other types of seeds with these inoculants, biological processes can be enhanced and higher yields can be achieved. By utilizing naturally occurring microbes and molecules, uptake of phosphorus and nitrogen is boosted to make better use of the available nutrients.

Increased yield with same input

By inoculating seeds with products from Novonesis, yield increases between 3-7% were observed in field tests, depending on soil and crop type. For instance, it has been shown to increase yields of soybeans in different regions. This suggests that small amounts of the products can increase yields while keeping resources at the same level, (without adding anything else than the usual fertilizers etc.) potentially leaving more profit for the farmer. Additionally, the improved use of the available nutrients can lead to other beneficial aspects such as reduced need for fertilizer, reduced tractor runs through the field etc.

A win for the farmer

An increase in productivity by using microbial inoculants can lead to economic benefits for the farmer.  More output with the same input is obviously more efficient, but other, slightly more hidden benefits, can be achieved:

• Larger roots of the plants mean more carbon stored in the soil.
• Reduced nitrogen losses to the aquatic environment.
• Less nitrogen is converted to nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, reducing the emissions to the atmosphere.
• Up to 15% less CO2e emissions from the whole life cycle of the crop, shown in US field tests with corn.
• Healthier soil.

Healthy animals need less medicine, handling, and expensive feed additives. The animals make better use of the feed and convert it into performance measures like growth or milk production. That’s how healthy animals contribute to a better bottom line.

A Danish farmer that runs six sow farms with more than 9.000 sows needed more stability in the sow in three of the farms herd consisting of 4,000 sows.

Thus, the aim at the farms was to reduce the mortality for the sows, and a more active sow in the farrowing section, which could produce more milk for the suckling piglets.

A game-changer

The three sow farms changed their sow feed strategy in the spring of 2020 and added EP199 – a fermented and functional rapeseed protein added seaweed, from Danish supplier European Protein. At first the EP199 was added to the gestation feed and after three months to the lactation feed. The fermented rapeseed and seaweed feed replaced soy protein by 6% in the gestation feed and 9% in the lactation feed.

The sows need 100 kilos of sow feed less yearly

The fermented complementary protein helps the sow to utilize the sow feed more efficiently.

Less sow feed but better yield

The improved utilization can be registered in lower overall feed consumption or as steady consumption but reduced per piglet produced, as the number of weaned piglets increase per sow.

The sows need 100 kilos of sow feed less yearly, which is attributed to the use of EP199. At one of the farms, the sows feed on liquid feed, and the so-called “soup” is easier to control than before with far less yeast in the liquid feed and a more stable PH-level. The sows have more appetite, and they seek the trough more actively.

At the same time, milk production has been boosted, with the piglets weighing up to a kilo more. This has increased the number of weaned piglets per weaning significantly and the frequency of diarrhoea in the farrowing section has dropped.

Grain cleaning is important for efficient storage and utility as well as animal welfare by reduction of mycotoxins. A Danish long-lasting solution proves its ability to improve on crucial parameters.

Sjørup Pig Production had realized that every time a silo came close to being empty the feed intake was reduced, and there were challenges with general health of the sows. In these periods the team discovered that even though they added one to two kg of toxin binder per ton of feed they didn’t see any remarkable improvements in terms of overall effect.

Three initiatives were implemented, including a new SKIOLD Sigma grain cleaner and continuous tests for mycotoxins to analyse the reduction of these. The cleaning qualities of the Sigma cleaner stand out compared to those of common drum or screen cleaners. The screens in the Sigma cleaner are vertical and rotate around their own axis, and at the same time around the central axis of the machine.

Surprising effect and results

The mycotoxins are attached to the surface of the grains and Sigma has a great impact on this because of the specific way it works. It contributes to an efficient cleaning and a lower level of mycotoxins by removing large quantities of sand, unwanted seeds, etc.

Efficient cleaning and a lower level of mycotoxins

The management at Sjørup Pig Production were surprised to see how much waste that could be removed from the grain, even if it seemed quite clean before the cleaning. They saw better and more efficient cleaning by installing the Sigma grain cleaner, which is more efficient compared to other types of cleaners when it comes to removing mycotoxins.

Thorough cleaning improves efficiency and stability

Installing the Sigma is the initiative that has had the largest impact of the three initiatives. Previously, the waste fraction was approximately 0.5 percent after cleaning the grain. With the Sigma cleaner the waste fraction has increased and is typically between 1 and 2 percent, sometimes as much as 3.

With a higher percentage of waste removed, a number of advantages have been obtained at Sjørup Pig Production. They no longer see those declines when using the last grain in the silos. Sow health thus improved, efficiency has been increasing, and – not least – the stability has increased. This means fewer stoppages on the pump of the wet feeding system and fewer broken membranes.

Fast handling of grain in a dry environment makes the difference in grain storage. Danish JEMA offers a high-capacity grain pit and conveyor system.

On a Swedish farm just north of Trelleborg a need for more capacity and reliable dry handling of grain was met by Danish grain handling specialist, JEMA. The new DRY PIT installation in 2018 was among the most modern grain systems on the market and the facility is a success with dry, high delivery capacity and a design to optimise food hygiene.

Total capacity with the conveyor system is 105 tonnes per hour

Grain deliveries go into an 18 cubic metre suspended DRY PIT module. Total capacity with the conveyor system is 105 tonnes per hour. The high delivery capacity means everything is cleared up by the morning, even if harvesting went on late into the night. Manual handling in the morning is therefore a thing of the past.

DRY PIT is suspended in a three-metre-deep concrete pit, and made of galvanised steel sheet. That means it is completely separate from rising groundwater around the sides and bottom. There are no flat surfaces on which old grain and dirt can accumulate. There is also full access to the pit, making it easy to service the pit auger.

This is yet another Danish high-standard solution available to the world market demanding clever and efficient contributions to sound and sustainable development in the global agriculture.