In a bid to address the dramatic decline in krill populations—attributed to climate-induced changes and overfishing—Forty international companies, including industry players like Agri-King Nutrition and NovoNutrients, join the Krill Replacement Challenge hosted by F3. This initiative, the fourth of its kind, seeks innovative alternatives for incorporating into aquafeeds.
Krill, a vital component in marine food webs, has witnessed an 80 percent decrease in populations due to changing ocean conditions and regional overfishing. The Krill Replacement Challenge is part of F3’s collaborative efforts involving NGOs, researchers, and private partnerships to promote sustainable practices in the aquafeed industry.
Participants in the contest will present a range of krill replacement products, including black soldier fly larvae, algae, and single-cell proteins. The goal is to identify viable and sustainable alternatives that eliminate the need to harvest krill from the wild for feed ingredients.
Kevin Fitzsimmons, a judge in the contest and professor of environmental science at the University of Arizona, expresses excitement about the diverse products and global interest. The competition aims to showcase existing viable replacements on the market, emphasizing the unnecessary reliance on wild-caught krill.
The next phase involves judges selecting 10 companies for a 12-week comparative feeding trial. Each competitor’s marine-animal free product will be integrated into a plant-based feed for Atlantic salmon, undergoing rigorous testing for traits such as salmon biomass gain and feed digestibility.
For a complete list of participants and their products, visit the F3 website. The announcement of the 10 companies advancing to the feeding trial is anticipated in late October 2023.
Source: The Fish Site
