The Group work actively to further the development of sustainable fish feed.

Our fish feed ingredients are to be sourced from sustainable, ethical and traceable sources.

Lerøy Seafood Group has taken an active role in influencing the further development of feed composition to ensure premium product quality, in a sustainable way.

Ingredients

We work actively to further the development of sustainable fish feed. Our fish feed ingredients should be from sustainable and traceable sources.

We normally divide the ingredients into two groups:

  • Marine raw materials
  • Vegetable raw materials

During the last years there has been a change in the composition of the feed to more and more use of vegetable raw materials.

Proportion of marine raw material

  2021 2020 2019
Share marine raw materials % 33 20 22
Share vegetables % 67 80 78

 

CO2e for production of fish feed

  2021, included landuse 2020, included landuse 2019
Average emissions per kg feed produced for the Group 2,08 3,18 1,58

 

Economic feed factor

  2021 2020 2019
Salmon 1,28 1,27 1,28
Rainbow trout 1,42 1,39 1,49

In 2021 we used the following marine raw materials:

In 2021 we used the following vegetable species

  • Soya SPC 21,4% (with 100 % deforestation free value-chain and MVE system for traceability and surveillance monitoring)
  • Sunflower Extract 2,9%
  • Faba beans 3,3%
  • Wheat 18,2
  • Pea Protein 2,0%
  • Guar Meal 4,4 %
  • Rapeseed oil 17,8%
  • Camelina oil 0,6%
  • Linseed oil 0,8%

FFDR salmon (ASC formula)

Improving the FFDR ratios is an important KPI for Lerøy. The implementation of organic Debio certified salmon, in addition to a turbulent year in the commodity market has made it necessary to include more marine raw materials. We are looking to unlock the synergies with our own trawlers to gain access to more trimmings.

The data is verified by an independent third party.

FFDR salmon illustration

Novel feed ingredients

The Group has for the last 5 years been a pioneer in the large-scale use of new raw materials. Through our engagement, Lerøy has shouldered the cost of developing of the supplier industry within microalgaes. When Lerøy started using microalgae, there was only one producer, today there are four.

Lerøy has also used insect meal the last years, but the available volumes offered today is still miniscule, and the costs are high. Still, starting in Q1 2022, Lerøy is stepping up its commitment to accelerate the production of insect meal, and introduce it to all of our salmon during the land based production.

Through our work with novel feed ingredients Lerøy has invested significant values in the development of new raw materials for fish feed. An estimate based on 2021 averages says that Lerøy’s investment in novel feed ingredients is approx. NOK 250 million over the last 4 years.

To be able to justify the increased production costs, we depend on a competitive price for these raw materials. Today, price and production volume are not satisfactory to be able to justify an increase in volume to be included in the feed.

Lerøy has taken leadership in the pursuit of new and sustainable raw materials. We have chosen to focus on alternatives for marine omega 3 out of concern for fish quality, fish welfare, securing the supply and out of marine ecology concerns. Microalgae helps Lerøy to increase the level of EPA+DHA in the feed without further increasing the dependency on traditional fisheries.

Lerøy is always looking into the alternatives to source high quality feed ingredients from the oceans. Low trophic fisheries like krill or mesopelagic fish is an option of great potential. Another unique opportunity Lerøy have, is the integration of our own white fish value chain with regards to increase the use of high-quality trimmings.

Our commitment does not stop there. Through Ocean Harvest, we run projects where we investigate species like blue mussels, and its potential as a marine raw material in feed. This show that Lerøy is not solely relaying on our suppliers to solve the needs of tomorrow, but we are actively working and funding the hunt for alternatives ourselves.

 

  2021
Total feed use 270 000 Kg
Total use of Marine Raw materials 34%
Use of Forage fish, percentage of marine ingredients 66%
Use of trimmings & by-products, percentage of marine ingredients 34%
Approximate spending on novel feed ingredients since 2018 – ytd. 250 MNOK